A mere 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, however, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. When the in-form star swept in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery discarded his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?
That’s a particularly tough proposition to address. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the victories have accumulated.
According to Opta, on just two occasions have Villa registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – but currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for Rogers to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.
The initial strike came from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.
A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting his shots into the top corner forever.
Potential for Growth
Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.
- The main striker could start scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while looking like a vital Three Lions star.
This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.
