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A mere eight weeks ago when the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were a symptom or the reason for the side's wider issues.

“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 proved to be far more favourable. When the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

As per Opta, twice all season has the side registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team which has put together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened when facing United.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Could it be an alternative path where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought the young forward now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential England player.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.