A mere eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the source of 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, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. When the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their opening six fixtures, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?
This is an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have piled up.
As per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for Rogers to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again against United.
His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.
Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
- The winger could transform into the performer he showed in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
