A mere two months ago when the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while Unai Emery berated him over missing a through-ball. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, though, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his winter coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?
This is a particularly tough query to resolve. History, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, even as the wins have piled up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a club which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened against United.
His opener came from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more shots and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.
Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter in the near future. Their key man, surely, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is another reality whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet find their top level.
- The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
- The winger may rediscover the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
