A mere 60 days in the past that the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or the source for the team's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was decidedly more positive. After the England international drilled in his second to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?
That’s an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have accumulated.
Per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa look curiously susceptible – however currently the fine lines are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened versus United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, arced just inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition registered more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.
A reversion to average might be the biggest rival they will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.
This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential player for the national team.
This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.
