Morgan Rogers delivered a stellar performance, scoring twice to propel Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Villa Park on Sunday. This win keeps Aston Villa within striking distance of the Premier League leaders.

Rogers opened the scoring with a superb strike in the 45th minute. Manchester United responded quickly, with Matheus Cunha equalizing just before the halftime break. However, Rogers once again found the net in the 57th minute with another stunning goal, securing the win for the home side.

The match was always expected to produce goals, and early chances came for both sides. Bruno Fernandes had an early free-kick cleared, while Matheus Cunha's shot narrowly missed the target. Aston Villa also had opportunities, with Ollie Watkins dispossessed by Ayden Heaven after finding himself one-on-one with Leny Yoro, and Senne Lammens saving a shot from John McGinn. Rogers also fired wide following a corner.

Manchester United also threatened, with Emiliano Martínez blocking a shot from Benjamin Šeško. Martínez also saved a speculative shot from Cunha. Youri Tielemans tried his luck from range as United enjoyed a good spell of possession.

Rogers's brace for Aston Villa marks the second consecutive match where he has scored twice. The victory also signifies Aston Villa's 10th straight win in all competitions, setting a new club record. This impressive run places them just three points behind league leaders Arsenal.

However, Manchester United's campaign suffered another setback with this defeat. To make matters worse, Bruno Fernandes was substituted due to an apparent hamstring injury. They were already without key attackers Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo.

Aston Villa's impressive form has solidified their position as genuine contenders for a top-four finish and has fueled discussions about a potential title challenge. Rogers's outstanding performances are compensating for the team's lack of squad depth.

Aston Villa will be third in the Premier League at Christmas, three points off the top. They have 36 points currently, whereas they had more points on Christmas Day only in 2023-24 (39). Rogers has scored 21 goals across all competitions since the start of last term and is the youngest to net 20+ for a Premier League team in this period.