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A mere 60 days ago when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or a cause 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, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six games, now sit only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

As per the data, in only two games have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club which has put together 10 in a row, Villa appear strangely fragile – however currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the upright from a wide position. For his second was essentially a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.