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It was 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him over missing a pass in behind. During that period, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for Villa's wider issues.

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

This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. After the England international curled home his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win and after failing to win any of their first six fixtures, find themselves just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough query to address. History, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the victories have piled up.

Per Opta, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, Villa seem strangely fragile – but at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with two precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened against United.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of his first as he seized 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. In the recent win, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent they will encounter in the near future. Their key man, surely, will not continue to drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the North End after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.