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Just two months prior when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him for missing a pass in behind. Back then, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were a symptom or a cause of the side's wider issues.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, now sit just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s a particularly tough question to answer. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, even as the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear strangely fragile – but currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their talisman to save the day with two precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened against United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, curled right inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge Villa must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.