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A mere two months prior that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or the source of Villa's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, even as the victories have accumulated.

According to Opta, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a club who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

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

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling the football into the top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

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

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.