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It was eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him for missing a through-ball. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained if his displays were a sign or the reason of the side's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the England international swept in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, the boss discarded his coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?

It remains an exceptionally difficult question to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.

According to Opta, on just two occasions have Villa posted an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa look strangely fragile – but right now the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

His opener came from a superb shot, curled just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one capitalizing 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.”

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Could it be another reality whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential England player.

This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers faced the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.