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It was two months ago that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the team'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, in contrast, the sideline response was far more favourable. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

It remains a rather hard query to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the wins have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their star man to rescue them with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

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

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge the club have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.