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A mere two months in the past that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were an indicator or the source for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to answer. History, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have just won 10 in a row, they appear weirdly vulnerable – but right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened in London, and once more versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the upright from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents managed more shots and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club have to face in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

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

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as a vital England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.