This Remarkable Scoring Streak Drives Villa's Unlikely Title Charge

A mere 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was if his performances were an indicator or the source of the side's more general malaise.

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. After the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

It remains a rather hard query to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, they seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition managed more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When Rogers positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.