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A mere 60 days prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him for missing a through-ball. During that period, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the source of the side's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. After the in-form star swept in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough question to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side that have just won ten consecutive victories, they look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy looks like to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened versus United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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 opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Could it be an alternative path in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a vital England player.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.