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It was two months prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while the Villa manager admonished him for missing a through-ball. Back then, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were a symptom or a cause for the side's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was much more joyous. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games has the team posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a side who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their talisman to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero faced the North End after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.