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A mere 60 days prior that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach berated him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his performances were a symptom or the source for the side's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. When Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, Emery discarded his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough query to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a club that have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened when facing United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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. Against United, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, will not continue to thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.