A mere two months in the past when Morgan Rogers found himself on the Sunderland turf, looking confused while his coach berated him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether his performances were a sign or the reason for the team's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, however, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. After Rogers swept in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the boss ripped off his coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row and having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves only three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Serious Hopefuls?
That’s a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant in many games, while the victories have stacked up.
According to Opta, in only two games has the team registered an xG notably superior than the other team. For a club which has strung together 10 in a row, they appear curiously susceptible – yet right now the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach looks like to exchange chances with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, arced just inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United managed more efforts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those matches.
A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge the club will encounter in the near future. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the ball into the top corner forever.
Potential for Growth
Could it be another reality where, rather than outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo are set to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.
This winning streak is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
