It was eight weeks prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach scolded him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom 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.”
On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, even as the victories have accumulated.
Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for Rogers to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus United.
The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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?
Logic says not. Against United, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.
A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club have to face in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Could it be another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players may yet find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine the young forward now would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial England player.
The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.
