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A mere two months prior when Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him for missing a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the reason of the team's broader struggles.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of the club, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season has the side had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem strangely fragile – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United registered more shots and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.