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A mere two months prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him for missing a through-ball. Back then, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a symptom or a cause for the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the England international curled home his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the boss tore off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have accumulated.

As per Opta, in only two games has the side posted an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a team which has just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – but right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing United.

His opener originated from a superb shot, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent the club must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.