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It was two months ago when the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have accumulated.

As per Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with some precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge the club have to face in the near future. Rogers, surely, will not continue to drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.