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Just 60 days ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager berated him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

That’s a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have accumulated.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team who have strung together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with some crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more when facing United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility 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 Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.