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Just two months in the past that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while his coach berated him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a sign or a cause for the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six matches, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, even as the victories have piled up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team who have strung together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of his first as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the player he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

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

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.