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A mere eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him over missing a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard question to address. History, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the victories have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, they seem curiously susceptible – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears 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 happened at West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.