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It was two months prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for 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, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. When the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have accumulated.

Per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a side which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – but right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with some precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival the club have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.