A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was if his displays were an indicator or the reason for Villa's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Hopefuls?
It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the positive results have piled up.
Per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team posted an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side who have put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping their star man to rescue them with some precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more when facing Manchester United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge the club have to face in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the top corner week in, week out.
Potential for Growth
Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger may rediscover the force he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.
This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.
