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It was 60 days ago that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager scolded him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were a symptom or the reason for the team's broader struggles.

“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 was entirely decidedly more positive. After the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six matches, now sit only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

This is a rather hard query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, while the victories have piled up.

Per the data, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to bail them out with two precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and again when facing Manchester United.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener 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. During the latest victory, the opponents had more efforts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge they will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.