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Just 60 days ago when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while Unai Emery admonished him for missing a through-ball. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or a cause of the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. When Rogers curled home his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard query to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have accumulated.

Per Opta, in only two games have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team who have put together 10 in a row, they look curiously susceptible – however currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their talisman to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival the club have to face in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.