It was two months prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a symptom or a cause of Villa's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. As the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The team continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their opening six matches, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Serious Title Contenders?
It remains a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the victories have piled up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, they appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the margins are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping Rogers to rescue them with two crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.
His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.
“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?
Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.
A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Potential for Growth
Could it be an alternative path where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet find their top level.
- The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he resembled in Germany.
- The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.
The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
