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A mere 60 days ago that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, are somehow a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to address. History, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has just won ten consecutive victories, they look strangely fragile – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to save the day with some crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.