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Just eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him over missing a through-ball. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were a sign 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.”

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. As Rogers curled home his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have piled up.

As per Opta, twice all season have Villa had an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a team which has just won 10 in a row, they appear curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be an alternative path in which, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the player he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial England player.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.