Just eight weeks in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or a cause of the team's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, however, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. When the in-form star swept in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery tore off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Challengers?
It remains an exceptionally difficult query to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been completely commanding this season, while the victories have stacked up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a side that have strung together 10 in a row, they appear strangely fragile – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping Rogers to bail them out with two crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.
The initial strike came from a brilliant finish, curled just inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second proved to be a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he pounced 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition had more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be another reality in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the force he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.
This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
