Morgan Rogers pays tribute to team-mate and coach after match-winning Aston Villa strike

Rogers had earlier brought his team level, cancelling out Lukas Nmecha’s opener for the hosts, when he flicked home Donyell Malen’s cross.

And he again stepped up to the plate with 15 minutes remaining, sending his free-kick up and over the wall and into the net from just outside the box.

Rogers told the BBC: “I call it the Emi Buendia. He did it in the last game before the break. It's something I've been practising, probably not as hard as him or as much as I should.

“Once he was off the pitch, I looked around and there was nobody else that really practised them, so I thought ‘why not?’ 

“I know I’ve got them in the locker. It’s about consistency. From so close, it’s just about getting it up and down as quickly as possible.”

Rogers, who scored twice in a league match for the first time in his career, also dedicated the strike to set-piece coach Austin MacPhee.

The 23-year-old made a point of going over to shake MacPhee’s hand during the celebrations. 

Rogers explained: “He bangs on at me to do it more. Sometimes I don't do it as well as I should. 

“That one was for him. He does his homework on all free-kicks, especially attacking free-kicks – how high we have to get it, how much it has to come down. He’s really good at stuff like that. That one was for him.

“There’s been a few goals I haven’t got in other games so it was nice to get on the scoresheet. But if I don’t score it is OK, so long as we get the win.”

Villa’s win moved them into the Premier League’s top-five and they look well set to again challenge for Champions League qualification.

Emery’s men next host Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday before next Sunday’s derby against Wolves.

Rogers said: “The season kind of shapes in this big period. There’s no break, there are no gaps, it’s just relentless. 

“The table kind of shapes how it will be for the rest of the season. We have to make sure we’re in and around the mix. It’s a good start.”