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Just eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his performances were an indicator or the reason for the side's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their opening six games, now sit only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, while the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games has the team posted an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a club which has put together 10 in a row, the Villans seem strangely fragile – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals before hoping their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again when facing United.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

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

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The winger might become the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.

The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.