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A mere two months in the past that the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or a cause for the side's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to address. History, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, even as the wins have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa posted an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened when facing United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent the club must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.

The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.