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It was 60 days ago when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a through-ball. Back then, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. When the England international curled home his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss tore off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have put together ten consecutive victories, they seem curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the upright from a wide position. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the football into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The winger might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.