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A mere two months prior that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager scolded him over missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six games, are somehow just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have accumulated.

Per Opta, twice all season has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for Rogers to bail them out with two precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing 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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be an alternative path whereby, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, 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.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.