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It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager scolded him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his displays were a sign or the reason for the side'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 touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. When the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six matches, are somehow just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough query to resolve. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have strung together 10 in a row, they seem curiously susceptible – however at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.