A mere eight weeks in the past that Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his performances were a sign or the reason of the team's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. As the England international curled home his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win any of their first six games, now sit only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Challengers?
That’s an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the wins have accumulated.
Per Opta, in only two games has the side had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a team that have just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – but currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.
His opener came from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition had more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.
A Case for Belief
Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho might become the player he was in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the young forward now would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.
This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
