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A mere 60 days in the past that the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach berated him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of Villa's wider issues.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have accumulated.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team registered an xG notably superior than the other team. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened against United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.