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Just eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery berated him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a sign or the source for the team's more general malaise.

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

On Sunday, though, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six matches, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Legitimate Challengers?

It remains a rather hard query to address. History, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have accumulated.

As per the data, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a side who have just won 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – however right now the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping their talisman to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more against United.

His opener came from a superb shot, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The main striker might resume scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he was during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.