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It was eight weeks ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a symptom or a cause of Villa'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 manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six matches, now sit only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping their star man to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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 managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting his shots into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.