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A mere eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or the reason of Villa's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. After the in-form star drilled in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. History, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions have Villa had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened in London, and once more when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge the club have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start 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 defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be leading a title charge while looking like an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers faced the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.