It was two months in the past when the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were an indicator or a cause of Villa's more general malaise.
“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 was much more joyous. After the England international swept in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
It remains a rather hard proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, even as the wins have piled up.
As per the data, in only two games has the side had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club who have put together ten consecutive victories, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it happened in London, and once more against United.
His opener originated from a superb shot, bent just inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more shots and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner forever.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he showed in Germany.
- The defensive duo are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the possibility for a sustained push, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
