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It was 60 days prior when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a through-ball. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star swept in his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team continued to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the side posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – but currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with two precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened when facing United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents managed more shots and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.