A mere eight weeks ago that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him over missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or a cause of the side's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, however, the sideline response was much more joyous. As the in-form star curled home his second to restore his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win their opening six matches, now sit just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?
This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the victories have stacked up.
As per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they look weirdly vulnerable – however currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened in London, and once more when facing United.
Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average might be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent could transform into the force he was during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.
This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.
