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It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him over missing a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a sign or the source for the side's more general malaise.

“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 manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. When Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win , despite not winning any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult question to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa posted an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to rescue them with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened against United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents registered more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.