🔗 Share this article

A mere 60 days prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or the source of the side's wider issues.

“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 decidedly more positive. After the England international curled home his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, now sit only three points off the leaders Arsenal.

Are They Genuine Challengers?

It remains a particularly tough query to address. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant this season, while the victories have stacked up.

As per the data, twice all season have Villa had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened when facing Manchester United.

Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

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

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival they will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the net's top corner forever.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he was during his peak.
• The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.

Relishing the Unlikely

Yet, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential England player.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.