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A mere two months ago that the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while Unai Emery berated him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six matches, now sit only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard question to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the positive results have piled up.

Per Opta, twice all season has the side registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side which has just won ten consecutive victories, Villa seem strangely fragile – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened in London, and once more against the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the performer he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.