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A mere 60 days prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether his performances were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. When Rogers curled home his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six games, now sit a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard query to answer. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have stacked up.

According to the data, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side who have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear curiously susceptible – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to save the day with some crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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.”

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner forever.

Potential for Growth

Could it be an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures could still find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
• The winger might become the player he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.