It was eight weeks prior that the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were an indicator or the reason of Villa'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 far more favourable. After the England international curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row , having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves just three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?
It remains a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.
According to the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem curiously susceptible – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more against United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Is It Sustainable?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.
A statistical correction might be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Could it be an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- The winger might become the player he was in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this is a surprise. Few believed the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.
This winning streak must be cherished exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
