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It was 60 days prior that the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the source for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. As the in-form star curled home his second strike to restore Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, twice all season has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team who have put together ten consecutive victories, they look strangely fragile – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge they have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.