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A mere two months prior that the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him over missing a pass in behind. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his performances were an indicator or the source for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After Rogers curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery discarded his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

The initial strike came from a superb shot, curled just inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized 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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opponents had more efforts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting his shots into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he resembled during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial England player.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.