It was eight weeks prior that the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or the source for the team'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 touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, Emery discarded his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.
According to statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a side which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with some crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again against United.
The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents had more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.
A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent the club have to face in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.
Potential for Growth
Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players may yet rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential Three Lions star.
This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As Rogers faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
