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A mere two months ago that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, however, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. When Rogers swept in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to resolve. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

As per the data, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side which has strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem strangely fragile – but right now the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with some crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.