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Just two months ago that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery admonished him for missing a pass in behind. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were an indicator or the source for the side's wider issues.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough query to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.

Per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a side which has put together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their star man to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened when facing United.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

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

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he was in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.