It was eight weeks ago that the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach scolded him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for the side's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, however, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the in-form star drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the boss tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?
That’s an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have accumulated.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has strung together 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach looks like to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their star man to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again versus the Red Devils.
His opener originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely 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.
“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is an alternative path where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The winger could transform into the force he showed in Germany.
- The defensive duo are due to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable backline.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Savoring the Moment
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.
The current run should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
