A mere two months ago that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of Villa's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, now sit only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?
This is an exceptionally difficult question to address. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.
According to Opta, twice all season have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team that have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping Rogers to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more versus United.
The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have 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 biggest rival they must confront in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the top corner week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.
- The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital England player.
This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.
