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A mere two months in the past when the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the team's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss tore off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough question to address. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, even as the wins have stacked up.

As per Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team that have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus United.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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. During the latest victory, the opponents had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge they will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Could it be another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.