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It was two months ago when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source for the team's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. When Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, even as the victories have accumulated.

Per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they appear curiously susceptible – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the player he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.