🔗 Share this article

It was 60 days ago that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while his coach berated him for missing a through-ball. During that period, as Villa went six without a win, the question was if his displays were an indicator 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.”

This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was decidedly more positive. When the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, opened his arms and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their opening six games, are somehow only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Hopefuls?

That’s a rather hard query to address. History, the perceived status of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.

Per Opta, twice all season has the team posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a side that have strung together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem strangely fragile – however currently the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. This was the case away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus United.

Rogers' first goal came from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United had more shots and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.

Regression to the mean may well be the most significant challenge the club must confront in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain blasting the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs might still return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner stood in front of the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.