It was 60 days prior when Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach admonished him over not reading a through-ball. During that period, as the club failed to win in six, the question was whether his displays were an indicator or the source for Villa's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. After the England international drilled in his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his jacket, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa were on their way to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six games, now sit just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?
This is a particularly tough proposition to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they've rarely been wholly dominant this season, while the wins have accumulated.
Per the data, twice all season has the side had an xG notably superior than the other team. For a side that have just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet right now the margins are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach appears to be to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.
Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, bent just inside the upright from a wide position. For his second acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing 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.”
Is It Sustainable?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents managed more efforts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average might be the greatest opponent they will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, will not continue to thrashing his shots into the top corner week in, week out.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- The winger may rediscover the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, nobody expected this. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy in a Champions League place in December. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a title charge and appearing as an essential England player.
This remarkable period is to be savoured precisely because it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the North End when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
