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Just 60 days in the past that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were an indicator or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. After Rogers drilled in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s a particularly tough query to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side which has strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem curiously susceptible – yet currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he resembled during his peak.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match 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.