A mere eight weeks prior that the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a sign or a cause for Villa's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When the England international curled home his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves only three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard proposition to address. Past precedent, the perceived status of the club, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, while the victories have piled up.
As per the data, on just two occasions has the side posted an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear strangely fragile – however currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their talisman to rescue them with some precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened against the Red Devils.
The initial strike stemmed from a superb shot, bent just inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of the opener as he seized on a pass from Watkins.
“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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists another reality whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.
- The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
- The winger might become the performer he was in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought Rogers by the end of the year would be leading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial England player.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
