A mere two months in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause of the side'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 sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. As Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?
This is a rather hard query to answer. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.
According to Opta, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a side which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, they appear strangely fragile – yet currently the tight outcomes are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping Rogers to bail them out with some crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened in London, and it happened against the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from a superb shot, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of the opener as he seized 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.
Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Savoring the Moment
Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.
The current run must be cherished precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
