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Just two months ago that the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach berated him for not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The team continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough query to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, while the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, 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 10 in a row, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – however right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened versus Manchester United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The winger might become the performer he was during his peak.
• The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the hero faced the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.