It was eight weeks ago when Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of the team's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. When Rogers curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery discarded his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?
That’s an exceptionally difficult question to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, while the wins have stacked up.
Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG notably superior than the other team. For a team who have just won a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the margins are going in their favour.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy seems to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened versus Manchester United.
The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled just inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more efforts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent the club have to face in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the player he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential Three Lions star.
This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and should be relished.
