Just 60 days ago that the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as Unai Emery admonished him for missing a pass in behind. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. As Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, the boss tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Hopefuls?
It remains a particularly tough proposition to address. Past precedent, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have accumulated.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side posted an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club that have put together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – but right now the fine lines are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with some clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more versus United.
Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition managed more efforts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.
A reversion to average could be the most significant challenge they will encounter as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be another reality in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
- The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
- The winger might become the player he showed during his peak.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the young forward by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed exactly since it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
