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It was 60 days in the past when the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him over missing a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of the team's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.

As per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened in London, and once more against the Red Devils.

His opener came from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing 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?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.