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A mere eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while the Villa manager admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained if his displays were an indicator or the source for the team's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers curled home his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six games, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side that have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem strangely fragile – but currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their star man to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more against United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents managed more shots and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Could it be another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players may yet find their top level.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.