A mere two months ago that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for missing a through-ball. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom 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.”
In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?
It remains a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, even as the wins have accumulated.
Per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side that have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look curiously susceptible – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach looks like to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and again when facing United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition registered more shots and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent Villa will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Perhaps there is another reality whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled during his peak.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a title charge while looking like an essential Three Lions star.
This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.
