A mere two months in the past that the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach scolded him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a sign or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. When the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six games, find themselves only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the victories have piled up.
According to statistical analysis, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side that have put together ten consecutive victories, they look strangely fragile – but right now the margins are swinging for them.
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing United.
The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized 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.”
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.
Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential England player.
This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
Elena Vance is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience in UK business consulting, specializing in technology-driven growth solutions.