A mere 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or a cause for Villa's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery discarded his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?
That’s a rather hard question to address. History, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant this season, even as the positive results have stacked up.
Per Opta, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club which has strung together 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – but currently the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against United.
The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent right inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.
“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. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
A statistical correction might be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the force he resembled in Germany.
- The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.
This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
