A mere 60 days ago that the young forward stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source for the side'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, in contrast, the sideline response was far more favourable. After the in-form star curled home his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the boss tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
It remains an exceptionally difficult query to address. History, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the victories have piled up.
As per statistical analysis, in only two games has the team had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa appear curiously susceptible – but at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.
The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one 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?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more shots and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those matches.
A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge they will encounter in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario 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 may begin to finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the performer he showed in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential Three Lions star.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the hero positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.
