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It was eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of the side's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

As per Opta, twice all season has the team had an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a side which has just won ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – yet at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more against United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he pounced 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?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. 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 statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the hero faced the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.