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It was eight weeks in the past that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. As the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough question to address. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the victories have accumulated.

Per the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential England player.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.