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A mere two months ago when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the source for 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 manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star swept in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the victories have piled up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the side posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – but right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping Rogers to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version 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?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The winger might become the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the North End at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.