A mere eight weeks ago when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or a cause of the side's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, however, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The team marched on to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their opening six matches, now sit just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?
That’s a rather hard query to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, even as the positive results have stacked up.
As per the data, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team who have strung together 10 in a row, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. It happened at Leeds, it happened in London, and again versus the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, arced right inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized 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?
Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition had more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.
A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. The forward, surely, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still rediscover their best form.
- The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger may rediscover the player he showed in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely two months ago, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the North End after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
