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It was 60 days ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. As the England international drilled in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club which has strung together 10 in a row, the Villans seem strangely fragile – yet right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival they will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.