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It was 60 days ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or the source of the side's wider issues.

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

This weekend, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to answer. History, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.

As per the data, on just two occasions has the side posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have strung together 10 in a row, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their star man to save the day with two crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.

“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. In the recent win, the opponents managed more shots and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter in the near future. Rogers, surely, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.