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A mere 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of the team's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. As the England international drilled in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard proposition to address. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team that have put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more versus United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing 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. Against United, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A statistical correction might be the biggest rival the club will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the young forward now would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential Three Lions star.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.