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It was eight weeks ago that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained whether his performances were a sign or the reason for Villa's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough query to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have piled up.

As per the data, in only two games have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has just won 10 in a row, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened against United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, bent right inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the force he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.