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A mere two months in the past when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause of the team's wider issues.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. After Rogers curled home his second to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six games, are somehow a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have accumulated.

As per Opta, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened when facing United.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents had more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival the club must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.