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Just two months ago that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as the Villa manager berated him for not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was if his displays were an indicator or the source for the side's more general malaise.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his second to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing this season, while the positive results have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club who have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.

A statistical correction could be the biggest rival Villa must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.