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A mere 60 days in the past that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while his coach berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or the reason of 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 manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

According to Opta, twice all season has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look strangely fragile – but currently the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to trade blows with rivals and wait for their star man to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

His opener came from a superb shot, bent just inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival the club must confront in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger could transform into the force he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.