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A mere eight weeks in the past when the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a sign or a cause of Villa's more general malaise.

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

This weekend, however, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, are somehow a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?

It remains a rather hard question to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have stacked up.

Per the data, twice all season has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem strangely fragile – however currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.

The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the post from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.

“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?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more shots and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
• The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential England player.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.