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A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the side's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, however, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have accumulated.

As per the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet right now the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that 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. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.