A mere 60 days in the past when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his second strike to restore Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?
It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, they look curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their star man to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more when facing United.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent Villa have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the performer he showed during his peak.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital England player.
This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.
