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A mere 60 days ago when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or a cause for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant this season, while the wins have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a club who have put together 10 in a row, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened against United.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.