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It was eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his performances were a symptom or a cause of the side's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. After the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club which has put together 10 in a row, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.