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It was eight weeks prior when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach scolded him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or the reason 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.”

This weekend, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. When the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season has the side had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, they look curiously susceptible – however at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more against the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be another reality whereby, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.