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It was 60 days ago when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him over missing a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a symptom or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As the England international curled home his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to answer. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the side had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a club who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, they appear strangely fragile – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, will not continue to thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the player he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.