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A mere two months prior that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his performances were a sign or the reason for the side's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, now sit a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard query to resolve. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team that have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem strangely fragile – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for their talisman to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus United.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents had more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.