It was eight weeks ago when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his second to restore his side's advantage, Emery discarded his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their opening six games, find themselves only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?
It remains a rather hard proposition to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, while the positive results have piled up.
Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the team posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a club which has put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear curiously susceptible – but currently the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy looks like to trade blows with rivals before hoping their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.
His opener came from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.
“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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner forever.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists an alternative path where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
- The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
- The attacking talent could transform into the force he was in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.
