Just 60 days in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for the side's more general malaise.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was entirely far more favourable. When the England international curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their opening six games, are somehow only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?
This is a particularly tough question to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.
As per the data, in only two games has the side posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, Villa appear strangely fragile – however currently the margins are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.
The initial strike came from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival the club have to face in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the force he resembled in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a title charge and appearing as a crucial England player.
This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.
