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A mere 60 days prior that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while his coach berated him for not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. When the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a team who have put together 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – however currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened against the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed more efforts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent they must confront as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.