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It was eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as Unai Emery admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, Emery discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – but right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against the Red Devils.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener 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?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.