Just two months in the past that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his displays were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their opening six games, find themselves only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Challengers?
This is a particularly tough proposition to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, while the positive results have stacked up.
As per the data, in only two games has the side registered an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a side who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – however right now the margins are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their star man to rescue them with some precise efforts. It happened against Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more versus United.
The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“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?
Logic says not. Against United, the opposition had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the force he was in Germany.
- The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Savoring the Moment
However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial England player.
This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
