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It was two months ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The team continued to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to address. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

As per the data, on just two occasions have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side who have put together 10 in a row, Villa look strangely fragile – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing 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?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.