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A mere 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while the Villa manager berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained if his performances were a sign or a cause of the team's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. History, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, even as the victories have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team posted an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy looks like to trade blows with rivals before hoping Rogers to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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 managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be another reality whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.