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A mere 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while the Villa manager scolded him for missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or a cause for the team's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. When the England international drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, even as the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they seem strangely fragile – however currently the margins are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

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

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists another reality in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the force he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers faced the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.