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Just eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while the Villa manager scolded him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst was much more joyous. After the England international curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their opening six matches, are somehow only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the wins have stacked up.

As per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and wait for Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition had more shots and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers faced the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.