A mere eight weeks ago when the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a sign or the source of Villa's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. When Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and bellowed. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their opening six games, find themselves just three points off the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the victories have accumulated.
Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the side registered an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a side who have just won a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear strangely fragile – but right now the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.
His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing 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?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.
A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge Villa must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
- The winger could transform into the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.
This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.
