Just two months in the past when the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the reason for the team's more general malaise.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. As the England international drilled in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa were on their way to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?
It remains a particularly tough query to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding this season, while the positive results have accumulated.
As per the data, twice all season has the side posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the margins are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for Rogers to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened versus United.
The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, arced just inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“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?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those matches.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho might become the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.
This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial England player.
This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
