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It was eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him over not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or the reason for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star swept in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United had more efforts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge the club will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.