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Just two months prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six fixtures, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, even as the victories have piled up.

According to Opta, in only two games have Villa registered an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a side which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – but at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for Rogers to rescue them with some crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened against the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed more shots and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the football into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.