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Just eight weeks in the past when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery scolded him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or the reason for the side's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After the England international curled home his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six matches, find themselves only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

That’s an exceptionally difficult question to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club that have strung together 10 in a row, they seem strangely fragile – but at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more against Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced 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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they must confront in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.