It was two months prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while Unai Emery berated him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the reason for the side's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be decidedly more positive. After Rogers swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, the boss ripped off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , after failing to win their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?
That’s an exceptionally difficult query to answer. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the positive results have piled up.
According to Opta, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a team which has just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans look curiously susceptible – yet at the moment the fine lines are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened when facing United.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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. During the latest victory, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
Regression to the mean may well be the biggest rival Villa must confront in the near future. Their key man, surely, will not continue to drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists another reality whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defence.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.
This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the North End after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.
