It was 60 days ago that the young forward found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery admonished him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was if Rogers' form were a sign or a cause for the side's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the manager's outburst proved to be much more joyous. After the England international curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Serious Challengers?
That’s a rather hard query to resolve. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.
Per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – but currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their talisman to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired in London, and again when facing the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.
“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?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.
A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club will encounter as the season progresses. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, 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 might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo are set to regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Savoring the Moment
But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as a crucial player for the national team.
This remarkable period must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.
