A mere eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his displays were an indicator or the reason of the side's more general malaise.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, however, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?
This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. Past precedent, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, even as the victories have piled up.
As per the data, in only two games have Villa registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team that have strung together 10 in a row, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however right now the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on their star man to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.
His opener came from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.
A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is an alternative path where, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.
- The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent might become the performer he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defence.
This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a title charge while looking like a crucial player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.
