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A mere eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for the team'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, though, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. As the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, twice all season has the team posted an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a club that have put together a ten-match winning streak, they appear curiously susceptible – but at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United 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 most significant challenge they will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.