Just two months ago when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were a sign or the source of the team's more general malaise.
“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 manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and roared. The team continued to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their opening six games, find themselves a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the positive results have piled up.
According to the data, on just two occasions have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club that have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the margins are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred in London, and again against Manchester United.
Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing 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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club have to face as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential player for the national team.
The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers faced the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
