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It was eight weeks in the past when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach admonished him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason of 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 proved to be decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss tore off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win their opening six matches, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. History, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the upright from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival Villa must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.