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It was eight weeks ago when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason of the side's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six games, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the side posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and wait for Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they have to face in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a title charge while looking like a crucial England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers faced the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.