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A mere eight weeks prior that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the source of the team's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. After the England international swept in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the positive results have piled up.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – but currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge they will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.