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It was 60 days ago when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or the reason of Villa'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 sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?

This is a particularly tough query to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have piled up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team that have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet right now the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more against Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the post from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival the club have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the football into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.

• The main striker could start scoring again.
• The winger could transform into the player he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.