A mere eight weeks prior when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him for missing a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if his performances were a sign or the reason of the side's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, now sit a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?
That’s a rather hard proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding during this run, even as the victories have piled up.
According to Opta, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a club who have put together 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach looks like to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and again against the Red Devils.
His opener came from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first as he pounced 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.
Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling the football into the top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.
- The centre-forward could start scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.
This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
