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It was two months in the past when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason for Villa's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. History, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, while the wins have piled up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem strangely fragile – yet at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent right inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of his first as he seized 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the football into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the North End after the match conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.