It was eight weeks prior that Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were a symptom or a cause of the side's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, however, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?
This is a particularly tough query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, while the wins have accumulated.
Per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has put together ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – but right now the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition before hoping Rogers to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and again when facing United.
His opener originated from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized 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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents managed more shots and more shots on target. Villa have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.
A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players may yet find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.
This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.
This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.
