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A mere 60 days prior when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for Villa's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, though, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. As the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss tore off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team continued to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their opening six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

According to the data, in only two games have Villa posted an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a side which has just won ten consecutive victories, Villa appear strangely fragile – but currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second was essentially a somewhat messier replica of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger could transform into the player he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.