A mere eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or the source of the side's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six matches, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?
That’s a particularly tough query to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the wins have stacked up.
Per the data, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa look curiously susceptible – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their talisman to bail them out with two clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.
The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one 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. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet find their top level.
- The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
- Jadon Sancho might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital England player.
The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As Rogers faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
