A mere 60 days in the past that the young forward stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused while Unai Emery scolded him over missing a through-ball. Back then, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or the source for the side's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. After Rogers swept in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?
That’s a rather hard proposition to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the victories have accumulated.
As per Opta, twice all season has the side had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a team which has put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to rescue them with some crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more against United.
The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.
Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge they must confront as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner forever.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists a different scenario whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet find their top level.
- The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.
This could contain the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like a vital player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. As Rogers stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
