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It was 60 days in the past that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason for the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the wins have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team which has just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more when facing United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced just inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, 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 might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.