A mere 60 days prior when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager scolded him over not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of the team's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When the in-form star swept in his second to restore his side's advantage, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?
It remains a particularly tough question to address. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have piled up.
Per Opta, twice all season has the side registered an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a side who have just won 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – yet at the moment the margins are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with some clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again against United.
Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting the football into the top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. When the hero faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
