A mere 60 days in the past when the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while the Villa manager scolded him over not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a symptom or a cause for the side's broader struggles.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. After the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team continued to a 10th successive win , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?
That’s a rather hard query to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the victories have piled up.
According to the data, twice all season have Villa posted an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side that have put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – but right now the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.
The initial strike originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had more shots and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
- The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
- The winger might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Savoring the Moment
However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.
This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and must be appreciated.
