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It was eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager scolded him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. When the in-form star drilled in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

According to the data, twice all season has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing 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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.