It was two months prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while the Villa manager admonished him over missing a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason of the side's more general malaise.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. When Rogers drilled in his second to restore his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?
It remains a rather hard question to address. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the positive results have piled up.
Per Opta, in only two games has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team who have just won 10 in a row, the Villans look strangely fragile – yet right now the margins are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more when facing United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition had more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction might be the biggest rival Villa must confront as the season progresses. The forward, surely, will not continue to thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.
Potential for Growth
Perhaps there is another reality whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The attacking talent could transform into the performer he resembled in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, this is a surprise. Few believed Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.
This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.
