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A mere eight weeks in the past when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign 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, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per Opta, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has strung together 10 in a row, the Villans appear strangely fragile – yet right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping Rogers to bail them out with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing 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, the opponents registered more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge they will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.