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Just two months ago when the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was whether his displays were a sign or the reason for the side's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six matches, now sit just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, even as the positive results have piled up.

Per the data, on just two occasions have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem curiously susceptible – however currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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, the opposition had more shots and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge they have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be leading a title charge while looking like an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.