It was eight weeks ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a through-ball. At that point, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were an indicator or a cause for the side's broader struggles.
“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 much more joyous. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and having failed to win any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?
This is a particularly tough query to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, even as the wins have stacked up.
As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look strangely fragile – but right now the margins are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again when facing the Red Devils.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the goal frame from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction might be the biggest rival the club must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Could it be a different scenario in which, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
- The winger could transform into the player he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential England player.
This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
