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Just two months prior that the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. After Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six games, find themselves just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?

It remains a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, even as the victories have accumulated.

According to the data, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club which has put together 10 in a row, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for their star man to bail them out with two precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling his shots into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.