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A mere eight weeks ago that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. When Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss discarded his jacket, spread his arms and roared. Villa continued to a 10th successive win , having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard query to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, while the positive results have stacked up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has strung together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, arced just inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents registered more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.