A mere two months in the past that Morgan Rogers was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while his coach scolded him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was if Rogers' form were an indicator 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.”
This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?
That’s an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, even as the victories have accumulated.
According to statistical analysis, twice all season has the team registered an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable – however currently the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again against Manchester United.
His opener came from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Can It Last?
Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents registered more shots and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.
A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
This could contain the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the young forward now would be leading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.
This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
