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A mere eight weeks ago that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a sign or the source for Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. As the in-form star swept in his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six matches, now sit just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

This is a particularly tough query to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per Opta, in only two games has the side registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a side who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more when facing United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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 managed more efforts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The winger might become the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.