It was 60 days ago that the Villa attacker was standing on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his performances were a symptom or a cause for the side's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. As the England international drilled in his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The team continued to ten wins in a row , having failed to win their opening six games, now sit just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.
Are They Genuine Hopefuls?
It remains a particularly tough proposition to answer. History, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.
Per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has just won ten consecutive victories, they look weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the margins are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with rivals and wait for their talisman to bail them out with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal stemmed from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Perhaps Rogers’ right foot is becoming like Arjen Robben’s left: just because you know he’s going to whip the ball into the top corner doesn’t mean you can stop him.”
Can It Last?
Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opposition managed a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction might be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs might still rediscover their best form.
- The centre-forward could start adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent could transform into the performer he was during his peak.
- The defensive duo are due to return from injury, bolstering a periodically leaky backline.
Perhaps there is in that the possibility for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely back in October, few could imagine Rogers now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like an essential England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it seems so surreal. As the match-winner faced the home supporters when the game ended orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods do not happen often and must be appreciated.
