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A mere eight weeks prior when the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause for the side's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After Rogers curled home his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six matches, are somehow only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side which has put together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals before hoping Rogers to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired in London, and again against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized 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. Against United, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he was during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward now would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.