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It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have piled up.

According to Opta, twice all season has the team posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team who have strung together ten consecutive victories, they look weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their talisman to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent the club will encounter in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling the football into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Could it be another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.