A mere two months in the past when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were an indicator or a cause for Villa's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. As the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa continued to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, are somehow just three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Challengers?
This is a particularly tough question to answer. History, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have accumulated.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a club who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans look weirdly vulnerable – but right now the margins are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more against United.
His opener stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Is It Sustainable?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.
A reversion to average could be the greatest opponent they will encounter in the near future. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho might become the player he showed in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.
The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
