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A mere two months prior that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him over missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or a cause for the team's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was much more joyous. When the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

This is a particularly tough proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing this season, while the wins have accumulated.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with two precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened when facing United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the player he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder now would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.