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Just two months in the past when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were a symptom or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss tore off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, now sit only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

This is a particularly tough proposition to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the victories have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season has the team registered an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a team who have put together 10 in a row, they appear curiously susceptible – however at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting the football into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.