A mere 60 days prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or the reason of the team's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery tore off his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their opening six fixtures, are somehow only three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.
As per Opta, in only two games has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – but right now the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
The current approach looks like to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred in London, and again versus Manchester United.
His opener came from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football into the net's top corner week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent might become the player he was in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would sit third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.
The current run is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
