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Just 60 days prior when the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. After the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard query to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have put together 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened against United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Is It Sustainable?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival they must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As Rogers faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.