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It was eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or the source of the side's wider issues.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers drilled in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough query to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the positive results have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa posted an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a team which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem strangely fragile – but at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with some precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. 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 reversion to average may well be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As the hero faced the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.