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It was 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of the team's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their opening six fixtures, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard query to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, even as the wins have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, twice all season has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team that have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and again against United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents had more efforts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge the club must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As the hero positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.