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A mere eight weeks ago when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over missing a through-ball. During that period, with the team went six without a win, the question was if his displays were an indicator or a cause of the side's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six games, now sit a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side who have put together 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping Rogers to save the day with some crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more against the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent Villa have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward now would be at the forefront of a title charge while looking like a vital Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.