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A mere two months prior when the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach admonished him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a symptom or the reason of the team's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. After the England international swept in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

This is an exceptionally difficult question to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, while the positive results have accumulated.

According to the data, on just two occasions has the side registered an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a side that have just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear curiously susceptible – however at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
• The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the young forward now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.