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It was eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the source of the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star swept in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

According to statistical analysis, twice all season has the team posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they look weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the margins are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their talisman to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• The attacking talent could transform into the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a vital England player.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. As the hero faced the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.