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Just 60 days in the past that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the team's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, even as the wins have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season has the team had an xG notably superior than the other team. For a club which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – yet right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on Rogers to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent the club have to face in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.