It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason of Villa's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his second to restore Villa's lead, the boss discarded his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six matches, now sit a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
This is a rather hard proposition to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.
Per Opta, twice all season have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach looks like to trade blows with rivals and wait for their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened against Manchester United.
The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.
This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
