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It was eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while Unai Emery berated him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were an indicator or the reason of the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his second to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival they will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he was during his peak.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward now would be leading a title charge while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.