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A mere 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for 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, however, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. When the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The team continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have accumulated.

According to Opta, in only two games has the team had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a club who have just won ten consecutive victories, they look weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened against United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.