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Just 60 days prior when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was whether his performances were a sign or the reason of the side's wider issues.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, Emery discarded his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more efforts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.