The Astonishing Golden Spell Propels The Villans' Improbable Championship Bid

Just 60 days in the past when the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if his performances were a symptom or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. When Rogers swept in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the victories have stacked up.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened in London, and once more versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.