Just eight weeks prior that the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a symptom or a cause for the team's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six matches, now sit only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Challengers?
That’s a particularly tough proposition to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, even as the victories have stacked up.
According to Opta, twice all season have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – but currently the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on their star man to save the day with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing 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.”
Can It Last?
Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean might be the most significant challenge they must confront over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players could still rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the player he was in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as a vital player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it appears so improbable. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
