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It was 60 days prior that the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of the team's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, though, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. As Rogers drilled in his second to restore his side's advantage, Emery discarded his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

It remains an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the wins have accumulated.

As per the data, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they have to face as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.