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Just eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as Unai Emery scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.

According to the data, in only two games have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred in London, and again when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing 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. Against United, the opponents had more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival they have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

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

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.