A mere two months ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source of Villa's broader struggles.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six games, find themselves a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?
It remains a rather hard query to address. History, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.
As per the data, twice all season have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the margins are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing 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?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.
Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a title charge while looking like an essential England player.
The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the North End after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
