It was two months ago when the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while the Villa manager berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his displays were a symptom or the source of the team's broader struggles.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be decidedly more positive. As the England international curled home his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six matches, are somehow only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?
That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have piled up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a club which has just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.
His opener originated from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those matches.
A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival the club will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the net's top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital Three Lions star.
This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.
