A mere eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery scolded him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was if his displays were a symptom or the reason of Villa's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. When the in-form star drilled in his second to restore the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard question to address. The historical record, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the victories have accumulated.
According to the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team who have just won 10 in a row, Villa seem curiously susceptible – however at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened versus United.
His opener came from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.
A reversion to average may well be the greatest opponent the club have to face in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be an alternative path whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.
- The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
- The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the young forward as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial England player.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
