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A mere 60 days prior when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a sign or the source for the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win , having failed to win any of their first six games, are somehow just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

This is a particularly tough query to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the victories have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season has the team posted an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have strung together 10 in a row, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened versus Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the upright from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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 direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.