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Just eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the source for the side's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, though, the sideline response was far more favourable. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, now sit just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.

According to the data, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – however at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and wait for Rogers to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

Can It Last?

Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United registered more shots and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival they must confront in the near future. Rogers, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential England player.

The current run is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.