It was 60 days prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the reason for Villa's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
In the latest match, in contrast, the sideline response was far more favourable. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, find themselves only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?
That’s a particularly tough query to address. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing this season, even as the positive results have piled up.
According to Opta, twice all season have Villa had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a side that have put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment 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 talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing 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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent the club will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
- The attacking talent might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.
This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero positioned himself before the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
