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It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or the source of the side's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. When the England international swept in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, even as the victories have piled up.

According to Opta, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has just won 10 in a row, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more versus United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge the club have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.