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Just eight weeks prior that the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a sign or the reason for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. After Rogers drilled in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six matches, are somehow just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, twice all season have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team which has put together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

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

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition registered more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be another reality where, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.