A mere eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were a symptom or a cause of the team's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. After the England international drilled in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow just three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?
It remains a rather hard proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the wins have stacked up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side posted an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem strangely fragile – yet right now the margins are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with two clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus Manchester United.
The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of goal number one 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.
A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- The winger may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.
This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As Rogers stood in front of the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
