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A mere 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to address. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season has the team registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a side that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he seized 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents registered more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge they will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as an essential England player.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.