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It was 60 days prior that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or the reason for the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. After the England international swept in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the positive results have piled up.

According to the data, twice all season has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

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

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.