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A mere 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery scolded him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a sign or a cause for 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, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. As the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their opening six games, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look strangely fragile – however at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their talisman to save the day with two precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the post from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents had more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward now would be leading a title charge and appearing as a vital England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.