A mere two months prior that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. After the England international swept in his second to restore Villa's lead, the boss tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Serious Title Contenders?
It remains a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.
Per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a side who have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem strangely fragile – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and again versus United.
The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he pounced 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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.
A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
- The defensive duo are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.
This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.
This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
