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A mere 60 days prior that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him over not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause 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, though, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. When the England international swept in his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their opening six games, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a side that have just won 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more when facing United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge they must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward now would be spearheading a title charge while looking like a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.