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A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were a sign or a cause of the side's more general malaise.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After the in-form star swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – but currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their star man to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened versus United.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.