A mere eight weeks prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or the source for Villa's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was much more joyous. After Rogers swept in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, are somehow a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?
This is an exceptionally difficult query to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.
Per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team which has just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look strangely fragile – however at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to rescue them with two clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.
His opener came from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.
“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. Against United, Manchester United had more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.
Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- The winger may rediscover the player he resembled in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.
This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
