Just eight weeks in the past when the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a symptom or the source of Villa's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, in contrast, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star swept in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. The Birmingham club were on their way to a 10th successive win , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, now sit only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Hopefuls?
That’s a rather hard proposition to address. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, their performances haven't been completely commanding during this run, while the victories have accumulated.
As per Opta, in only two games has the team had an xG notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have just won ten consecutive victories, they look strangely fragile – but right now the margins are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against United.
The initial strike came from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on a pass from Watkins.
“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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition managed more efforts and more shots on target. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.
A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge the club will encounter in the near future. The forward, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football into the top corner week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists an alternative path in which, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- The winger may rediscover the force he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would be third at Christmas. And without a doubt earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.
The current run must be cherished exactly since it seems so surreal. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
