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Just two months prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the side's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, though, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to address. History, the perceived status of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have piled up.

According to statistical analysis, twice all season has the side registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, the Villans look strangely fragile – but currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their talisman to save the day with two crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent Villa have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.