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A mere eight weeks ago when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him over missing a pass in behind. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a symptom or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The team continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the victories have stacked up.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa posted an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have put together 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – but right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.