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It was eight weeks prior that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if his performances were a symptom or a cause for the team's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

According to Opta, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping their star man to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more against United.

His opener came from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the post from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital England player.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.