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A mere 60 days prior when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him for missing a through-ball. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or the source for the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, however, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have piled up.

According to the data, in only two games has the side had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club which has put together 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.