A mere two months prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or the source of the team's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their opening six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
It remains a rather hard question to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, even as the positive results have accumulated.
As per the data, twice all season has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to save the day with some clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more when facing United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing 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?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents registered more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge they have to face in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.
Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.
The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
