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A mere 60 days ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach berated him for not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained if his displays were a sign or the source for Villa's broader struggles.

“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 decidedly more positive. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, now sit a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have accumulated.

According to Opta, in only two games has the side had an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, Villa seem strangely fragile – however currently the fine lines are swinging for them.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their star man to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival the club have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he was in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

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

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a vital England player.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it appears so improbable. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.