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It was 60 days ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his performances were a symptom or a cause of Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six matches, now sit a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult question to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, even as the wins have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a side which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem strangely fragile – yet right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened versus United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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. During the latest victory, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge they must confront in the near future. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.