It was two months prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, it wasn't clear if his displays were a symptom or the reason of the side's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. After Rogers curled home his brace-sealing goal to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, are somehow only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?
This is a rather hard query to address. The historical record, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant this season, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.
Per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however right now the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their talisman to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and again when facing United.
Rogers' first goal originated from an exquisite effort, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United managed more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those games.
Regression to the mean could be the most significant challenge they have to face over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling the football into the top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the performer he showed in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable backline.
This could contain the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the young forward now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
