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A mere two months prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach scolded him over missing a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or a cause for Villa'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, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. After the in-form star swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have stacked up.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have put together a ten-match winning streak, they look strangely fragile – however right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a superb shot, arced right inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized 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. Against United, the opponents managed more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial England player.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers positioned himself before the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.