A mere 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery scolded him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. Back then, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a sign or a cause for Villa's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. As the England international drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves a mere three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?
This is a rather hard question to resolve. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the wins have stacked up.
As per Opta, in only two games has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – however right now the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and wait for their star man to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more versus the Red Devils.
His opener stemmed from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized 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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United had more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean could be the greatest opponent they must confront in the near future. Their key man, surely, will not continue to blasting his shots past despairing goalkeepers forever.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the player he resembled during his peak.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a vital England player.
The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
