Just 60 days prior when the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as his coach scolded him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the team's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the sideline response was far more favourable. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?
That’s an exceptionally difficult question to address. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, despite the fact the wins have piled up.
According to Opta, in only two games have Villa registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a team which has just won 10 in a row, the Villans look strangely fragile – however at the moment the margins are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic looks like to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to save the day with a couple of precise efforts. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“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. During the latest victory, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the ball past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is a different scenario whereby, instead of luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.
- The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These runs of form are rare in football and should be relished.
