A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or the reason for the side's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. After the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?
This is a rather hard query to address. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.
As per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club which has put together 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – but currently the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach looks like to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened versus United.
Rogers' first goal originated from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.
A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent they have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, surely, will not continue to blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
- The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger could transform into the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder now would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.
This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero faced the home supporters at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
