A mere eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a sign or the source of the team's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their opening six games, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Challengers?
That’s a rather hard query to address. History, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.
According to Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and it happened when facing Manchester United.
His opener came from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Is It Sustainable?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents registered more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.
A reversion to average could be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital Three Lions star.
The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero faced the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
