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A mere 60 days ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. After the in-form star swept in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have accumulated.

As 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 side which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – but right now the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener 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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival the club must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the player he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.