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A mere two months ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or a cause for the team's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have accumulated.

Per the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club that have strung together 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – but currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

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

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still find their top level.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. As the hero faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.