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Just 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or the source of Villa's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. As the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to address. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

According to Opta, in only two games have Villa posted an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have just won 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to save the day with two precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more versus United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge they will encounter in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

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

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.