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Just eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a sign or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. When the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, now sit only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

That’s a rather hard question to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, in only two games has the side had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a side that have put together ten consecutive victories, they look strangely fragile – but right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.