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A mere 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source for the team's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, however, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing this season, even as the positive results have piled up.

According to the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, they seem strangely fragile – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping Rogers to save the day with two precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more against the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still find their top level.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

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

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. When the hero faced the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.