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Just 60 days in the past when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him over missing a through-ball. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. After the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. History, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

According to the data, in only two games has the team posted an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side who have put together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened versus United.

His opener came from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial England player.

The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.