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It was 60 days prior when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were an indicator or the source of Villa's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa continued to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six matches, find themselves only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard query to address. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

According to the data, twice all season has the team had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping Rogers to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened versus Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the post from a wide position. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition managed more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the football into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.