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Just eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a sign or the source for Villa's more general malaise.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers swept in his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

This is a particularly tough question to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, even as the wins have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition had more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the football into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.