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A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery admonished him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a symptom or the source of the team's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

This is a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team who have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more versus United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger might become the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

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

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.