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It was two months ago that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the source of the team's broader struggles.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was much more joyous. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa continued to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their opening six matches, now sit just three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

It remains a rather hard question to resolve. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, while the positive results have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to trade blows with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”

Is It Sustainable?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.