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Just 60 days prior when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the reason 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 touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. When the England international curled home his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six games, now sit only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear strangely fragile – but currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their talisman to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus United.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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?

Logic says not. Against United, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Savoring the Moment

However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.