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It was two months prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. During that period, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star curled home his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have accumulated.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa registered an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club that have strung together 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – however right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it happened in London, and once more against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. Rogers, surely, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger might become the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.