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It was 60 days ago when the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the boss tore off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six games, find themselves just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to answer. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look strangely fragile – yet currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their star man to rescue them with two clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again when facing United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival the club have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo are due to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought Rogers now would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.