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It was 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays 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.”

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. As the in-form star curled home his second to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, while the victories have piled up.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side which has just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa look strangely fragile – but right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger could transform into the player he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.