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A mere 60 days in the past when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as Unai Emery scolded him for missing a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was if his displays were an indicator or the reason of 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, though, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, even as the wins have stacked up.

As per Opta, twice all season has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – but right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more when facing Manchester United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still find their top level.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder now would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the match-winner faced the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.