Just two months prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as the Villa manager scolded him over missing a through-ball. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the side's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. As the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six matches, find themselves a mere three points off pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Serious Challengers?
This is a rather hard query to answer. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, even as the positive results have piled up.
As per Opta, twice all season has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have just won 10 in a row, they look strangely fragile – however at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Winning Formula
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their star man to bail them out with two crisp finishes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened when facing the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. The team has secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.
Regression to the mean could be the biggest rival they have to face as the season progresses. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Potential for Growth
Could it be an alternative path where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still find their top level.
- The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
- The winger could transform into the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, this was unforeseen. Few believed Aston Villa would be third at Christmas. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be leading a championship pursuit and appearing as an essential player for the national team.
This winning streak should be enjoyed for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
