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It was 60 days prior when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery berated him over missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. As the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the boss discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the victories have stacked up.

Per the data, in only two games has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem strangely fragile – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to trade blows with the opposition and wait for Rogers to save the day with two clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge they will encounter in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.