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It was 60 days prior when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a symptom or a cause for the team's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

This weekend, though, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. When Rogers drilled in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing this season, while the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for Rogers to rescue them with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more against United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.