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A mere 60 days ago when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays 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, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

As per Opta, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has put together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – yet right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their talisman to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents had more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge they have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.