A mere 60 days prior when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or the reason of the side's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his second to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?
That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, even as the victories have piled up.
As per Opta, in only two games has the team posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team which has put together 10 in a row, they seem strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping Rogers to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the post from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival Villa have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the possibility for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be leading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.
The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
