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A mere two months prior when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a sign or a cause for the team's broader struggles.

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

In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. When Rogers curled home his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have piled up.

According to statistical analysis, in only two games has the side posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they look curiously susceptible – but at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.

His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.

A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the player he was during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.

This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.