Just two months prior that the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or a cause for Villa's broader struggles.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. After the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss tore off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, are somehow a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Challengers?
This is a particularly tough question to answer. History, a general sense of this institution, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing this season, even as the victories have piled up.
As per Opta, in only two games has the team registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team which has just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem strangely fragile – but at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic appears to be to exchange chances with the opposition and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened versus the Red Devils.
The initial strike came from a superb shot, bent right inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on a setup by his strike partner.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, the opposition registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those matches.
A statistical correction may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling the ball into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures might still return to peak condition.
- The main striker might resume scoring again.
- The winger could transform into the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the potential of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would occupy third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.
The current run is to be savoured precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero 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 are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
