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A mere 60 days ago that the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while the Villa manager berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for the team's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

In the latest match, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a particularly tough query to address. History, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing this season, even as the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has strung together 10 in a row, they look curiously susceptible – yet right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more versus United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge they must confront in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the North End after the match conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.