This Remarkable Golden Spell Drives The Villans' Improbable Title Charge

It was eight weeks prior that the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him over missing a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a symptom or a cause of Villa's more general malaise.

In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough query to address. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, while the positive results have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the side registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa look strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their star man to save the day with some crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred in London, and again versus United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed more shots and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.