A mere two months ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for Villa's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?
It remains a rather hard question to address. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, while the wins have accumulated.
As per Opta, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a side that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.
His opener originated from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United registered more efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club will encounter in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.
- The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger could transform into the player he resembled in Germany.
- The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Savoring the Moment
Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
