The Astonishing Rich Vein of Form Drives Aston Villa's Surprising Push for Glory

It was two months ago that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or the source of the side's more general malaise.

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to address. History, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team posted an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a team that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they appear strangely fragile – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and wait for their star man to bail them out with two precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more efforts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent the club must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.