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A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the source of the side's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have piled up.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but right now the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

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

Can It Last?

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

A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent might become the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a title charge while looking like an essential England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.