A mere 60 days prior that the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the side's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. As the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win and having failed to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?
That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to answer. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the positive results have stacked up.
According to the data, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those games.
A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting the football into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is another reality where, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- The winger might become the performer he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
