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It was two months prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, even as the positive results have piled up.

According to the data, on just two occasions have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their star man to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the upright from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival they have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.