A mere 60 days in the past that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, as the club went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his performances were an indicator or the source of the team'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 manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. When Rogers curled home his second to restore his side's advantage, the boss ripped off his coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team continued to ten wins in a row , having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit just three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Serious Title Contenders?
This is a rather hard query to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Additionally, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, even as the victories have stacked up.
As per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team that have just won ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their talisman to bail them out with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again versus United.
His opener originated from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the post from a wide position. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Is It Sustainable?
Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United had more efforts and more direct attempts. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those matches.
A reversion to average might be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the ball into the top corner week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is a different scenario where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.
- The centre-forward might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The winger may rediscover the force he was in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the hero faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
