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A mere 60 days ago that the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a sign or the reason of Villa'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. When Rogers drilled in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win any of their first six games, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the victories have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had more shots and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival they have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Could it be an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought Rogers now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the hero positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.