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A mere 60 days ago when the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him for missing a through-ball. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the source for Villa's more general malaise.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, though, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. As the in-form star drilled in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have stacked up.

According to the data, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear curiously susceptible – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened in London, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they will encounter in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures might still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are due to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while looking like a crucial England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.