A mere 60 days ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained if his displays were a sign or the reason of the side's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, now sit a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.
According to Opta, twice all season has the team posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans look curiously susceptible – however currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with rivals and wait for Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened against United.
His opener came from a superb shot, arced just inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.
Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.
- The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The winger might become the player he was in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Savoring the Moment
But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers as the year closed would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential England player.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells do not happen often and should be relished.
