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A mere eight weeks ago that Morgan Rogers stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him over missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. When the England international curled home his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, now sit a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened against United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent the club must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.