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A mere two months ago that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. As Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing this season, while the victories have accumulated.

Per the data, in only two games have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa look strangely fragile – but currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.