Just 60 days in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach berated him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. During that period, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was if his performances were a symptom or a cause of the team's wider issues.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the manager's outburst was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star curled home his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa continued to a 10th successive win and having failed to win any of their first six games, are somehow just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Title Contenders?
It remains a particularly tough proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, while the positive results have accumulated.
As per the data, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans appear weirdly vulnerable – yet right now the margins are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with an opponent and wait for their star man to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United had a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.
A statistical correction might be the most significant challenge they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, will not continue to blasting his shots into the top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
- The winger might become the force he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.
This could contain the seeds for a sustained push, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Savoring the Moment
But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential player for the national team.
This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.
