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A mere two months prior when the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were a symptom or the source of the team's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. When the in-form star swept in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

Per Opta, in only two games has the side registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a club which has just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – however currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their star man to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.