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Just 60 days in the past that the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as the Villa manager scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or a cause of Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was far more favourable. After the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

According to the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – but currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener 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.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival they have to face in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent could transform into the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a title charge while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.