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A mere eight weeks in the past when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

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

In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. After Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season has the team posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team who have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for Rogers to save the day with two precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more against United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.