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It was eight weeks prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the source for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. When the England international curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their opening six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard question to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.

As per Opta, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club who have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but right now the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.