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Just 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six games, find themselves only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have piled up.

According to the data, twice all season has the side posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their talisman to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened versus Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the post from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge they have to face as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.