It was 60 days in the past when the young forward found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as his coach admonished him for missing a penetrating pass. Back then, with the team went six without a win, it wasn't clear if Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of the team's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely far more favourable. When the England international swept in his second to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The team continued to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their opening six matches, find themselves only three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Title Contenders?
This is a rather hard query to address. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the victories have piled up.
As per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look curiously susceptible – yet right now the margins are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two clinical strikes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and again when facing Manchester United.
His opener came from an exquisite effort, curled precisely inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Can It Last?
Logic says not. In the recent win, the opponents managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction could be the biggest rival the club must confront in the near future. Rogers, surely, cannot maintain drilling the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario whereby, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet rediscover their best form.
- The main striker might resume scoring again.
- The winger may rediscover the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.
The current run is to be savoured exactly since it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.
