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Just eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him over missing a through-ball. During that period, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source for the side's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their opening six matches, find themselves only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, even as the wins have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have put together 10 in a row, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again when facing United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge the club must confront in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would be third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers now would be leading a title charge while looking like a crucial England player.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.