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It was 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or the source for the side's wider issues.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. When the England international drilled in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have piled up.

Per the data, on just two occasions has the team had an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team who have just won ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach appears to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping Rogers to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing United.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, surely, will not continue to drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.

• The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent may rediscover the force he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.