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It was eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason of the team's wider issues.

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

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. As the England international curled home his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six matches, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Title Contenders?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have accumulated.

According to Opta, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side which has put together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem strangely fragile – but at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the force he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like 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 match-winner faced the Villa faithful when the game ended 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.