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It was eight weeks ago when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his displays were a symptom or the source of the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was far more favourable. As Rogers curled home his second to restore the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant this season, while the positive results have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team which has just won ten consecutive victories, they seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their star man to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened in London, and again against United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition had more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he was during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.