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Just 60 days ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a symptom or a cause of the team's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, spread his arms and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the side posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – but right now the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their star man to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more against United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.