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A mere 60 days prior when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six games, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to address. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

According to Opta, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem strangely fragile – but currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United had more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Could it be another reality whereby, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As Rogers faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.