Just two months in the past that the young forward was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as Unai Emery admonished him over not reading a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear if his displays were an indicator or the reason for the side's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
This weekend, however, the sideline response was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to a 10th successive win and after failing to win their opening six fixtures, now sit just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?
This is a rather hard query to resolve. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, while the wins have piled up.
Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team who have strung together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Rogers Recipe
The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their star man to rescue them with some clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more against the Red Devils.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of his first 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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those matches.
A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge the club must confront over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Reasons for Optimism
Perhaps there is another reality whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker may begin to adding to his goal tally.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.
Savoring the Moment
But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder now would be spearheading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.
This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.
