Just two months in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while his coach berated him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a sign or a cause for the team's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After the England international curled home his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?
This is an exceptionally difficult query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, while the victories have stacked up.
As per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against United.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Is It Sustainable?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, will not continue to blasting his shots into the net's top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward might resume finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
However, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.
