A mere 60 days ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager berated him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his performances were a symptom or the source for the side's broader struggles.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, however, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. After the England international drilled in his second strike to reinstate Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team continued to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their opening six games, now sit only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?
This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing this season, despite the fact the positive results have stacked up.
Per the data, on just two occasions has the side posted an xG significantly higher than the other team. For a team that have just won 10 in a row, they appear weirdly vulnerable – yet currently the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred in London, and again against Manchester United.
The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled precisely inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a somewhat messier replica of the opener 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?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents managed more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival they will encounter in the near future. The forward, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting his shots into the top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of luck running out, performances begin to trend towards results. Vital cogs could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he was during his peak.
- The defensive duo will eventually return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital England player.
The current run should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When Rogers positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells are rare in football and should be relished.
