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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 over not reading a through-ball. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the reason for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. When Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, Emery tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The team continued to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the victories have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – but at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their star man to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be an alternative path where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

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

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.