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Just 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a symptom or the source for the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. The team continued to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, even as the victories have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, the Villans seem strangely fragile – but right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition registered more shots 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 matches.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent they have to face as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.