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Just 60 days ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or a cause of the side'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, however, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. After the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six matches, now sit just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

According to Opta, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.