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It was 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a symptom or the source of the side's wider issues.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have just won ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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 opponents managed more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger might become the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely 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 an essential player for the national team.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.