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A mere two months prior that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a sign or the reason of the team'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, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers drilled in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery tore off his coat, spread his arms and roared. The team continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, while the positive results have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – however currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping Rogers to save the day with two precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

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

How Long Can This Continue?

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

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner positioned himself before the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.