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A mere eight weeks prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while his coach scolded him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were a sign or a cause for the side's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to answer. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

Per the data, twice all season has the side registered an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – however currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration 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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition had more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they must confront in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
• The winger could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.