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Just 60 days prior that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a sign or the source of the team's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, now sit just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard question to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they appear curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition managed more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club have to face in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.