A mere eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach berated him for not reading a through-ball. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response was much more joyous. As the England international swept in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club marched on to ten wins in a row , having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit only three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?
It remains a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, while the positive results have stacked up.
Per the data, in only two games has the team registered an xG significantly higher than their opponents. For a side which has put together 10 in a row, they look weirdly vulnerable – but currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping their talisman to bail them out with some precise efforts. It happened away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition had more efforts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent they have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to blasting his shots into the top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The winger may rediscover the force he resembled in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky backline.
This could contain the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a vital player for the national team.
This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the hero positioned himself before the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and must be appreciated.
