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Just two months ago when the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery berated him over not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether his displays 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.”

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his second to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have piled up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a team that have put together ten consecutive victories, they look curiously susceptible – but right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to save the day with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be 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.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United had more efforts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge while looking like a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.