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A mere 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were a sign or a cause for the side's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. As the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, while the positive results have stacked up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team that have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge they have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like an essential player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.