It was 60 days prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of Villa's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, however, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. After the in-form star swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Hopefuls?
This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing this season, while the wins have accumulated.
As per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem curiously susceptible – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy looks like to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again versus United.
Rogers' first goal came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first 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?
Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent might become the force he resembled during his peak.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.
This could contain the potential for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while looking like a crucial England player.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
