It was two months ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager scolded him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for the team's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. When the England international swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Challengers?
That’s a rather hard query to answer. History, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding in many games, even as the victories have stacked up.
As per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their star man to save the day with two crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.
Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- The winger might become the performer he showed in Germany.
- The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder now would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential England player.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
