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Just two months ago that the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the source of Villa's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, now sit a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side which has strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their talisman to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.