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It was two months prior when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery scolded him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. After the in-form star curled home his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six games, find themselves only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, even as the wins have stacked up.

As per the data, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, they look strangely fragile – yet at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their star man to save the day with two crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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.”

Can It Last?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, 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. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the force he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the young forward now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.

This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.