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A mere 60 days prior that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while his coach berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a sign or the source of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard query to address. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the wins have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season has the team posted an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear curiously susceptible – however currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred in London, and again against United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“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. In the recent win, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.