It was eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were an indicator or the reason 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, however, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss tore off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Are They Serious Title Contenders?
That’s an exceptionally difficult question to address. History, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have piled up.
Per Opta, twice all season has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem strangely fragile – however at the moment the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to bail them out with some crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened against the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a somewhat messier replica 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?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opposition had more shots and more direct attempts. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean might be the greatest opponent they will encounter as the season progresses. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Could it be an alternative path whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the player he resembled in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on one man.
Savoring the Moment
But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.
