It was 60 days ago that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his performances were a sign or a cause of Villa's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, however, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. As Rogers drilled in his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Title Contenders?
It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.
As per the data, on just two occasions has the team registered an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team which has put together 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – however right now the margins are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with rivals before hoping their talisman to rescue them with some precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing United.
His opener originated from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction might be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing the football into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Could it be another reality where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
- The winger could transform into the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.
The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero positioned himself before the home supporters after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
