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A mere two months ago that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while Unai Emery admonished him for missing a through-ball. Back then, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for the team's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, now sit just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult proposition to answer. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have accumulated.

As per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – but currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping Rogers to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent Villa must confront in the near future. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.