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Just eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as Unai Emery scolded him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, in only two games has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed more shots and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge the club must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.