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A mere two months ago that the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the source for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, while the positive results have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – however right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival they must confront in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.