A mere two months ago when the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as the Villa manager berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or a cause of Villa'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 sideline response was decidedly more positive. After the in-form star curled home his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery discarded his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow a mere three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Challengers?
That’s a rather hard query to answer. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have piled up.
As per Opta, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club that have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened against United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing 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. Against United, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.
Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival they will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho might become the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.
The current run must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
