Rogers scores brace to fuel Villa's quirky title dreams

A coat was launched into the Villa Park sky. Unai Emery's coat, to be precise.

- RICHARD JOLLY

His team are flying, too. Emery is taking Aston Villa to stratospheric heights and it felt fitting that Morgan Rogers got the goal that prompted the Spaniard to propel his padded jacket upwards. "My adrenaline," said Emery, whose celebration looked more angry than joyous but Villa have plenty to enjoy.

A seventh consecutive league win, their best run in 36 years, came courtesy of the increasingly remarkable Rogers. The title challenge no one saw coming is gathering speed. "After a poor start we can feel happy," said Emery. In the bottom three at the autumn equinox, Villa end the shortest day of the year in the top three.

Rogers's own transformation within three months has been similarly staggering. Booed by a section of the Villa support against Bologna in September, he now looks like the Premier League's form player. A second successive double featured another wonder goal. Rogers is in a rich vein of form. "Morgan Rogers played brilliant," said Emery. "Today and last week Morgan raised his performance. He is the protagonist, a fighter and a very good guy."