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It was two months ago when the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery berated him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or a cause of the side's broader struggles.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. As the England international curled home his second strike to restore his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard query to answer. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.

As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and again versus United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the post from a wide position. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.