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It was two months ago when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the source for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough question to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, while the wins have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their star man to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened when facing United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.