A mere 60 days in the past when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, with the team endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a sign or the source for Villa's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his second to reclaim the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six games, are somehow just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Legitimate Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard query to answer. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the wins have accumulated.
According to the data, twice all season has the side registered an xG notably superior than the opposition. For a side that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach looks like to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, curled right inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more direct attempts. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction could be the most significant challenge they will encounter in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot maintain thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Could it be a different scenario where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still find their top level.
- The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital England player.
The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful when the game ended orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
