Just 60 days ago when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a symptom or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?
It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have stacked up.
As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side had an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team who have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however right now the margins are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping Rogers to save the day with two crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more versus the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Could it be an alternative path in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- The winger could transform into the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
