Just eight weeks in the past when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager berated him over missing a through-ball. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were an indicator or the source for Villa's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. When the in-form star curled home his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six matches, now sit a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?
That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have piled up.
Per statistical analysis, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – however currently the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.
His opener originated from a brilliant finish, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one 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?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival the club must confront as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- The winger may rediscover the performer he showed during his peak.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely back in October, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
