Just 60 days ago when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether his performances were a symptom or a cause for the team's more general malaise.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
In the latest match, though, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. As the England international swept in his second to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their initial half-dozen fixtures, find themselves only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard query to address. Past precedent, a general sense of Villa, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding in many games, while the wins have piled up.
As per Opta, on just two occasions has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a team that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic looks like to engage in a shootout with an opponent before hoping their talisman to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. This was the case at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again against United.
His opener originated from a superb shot, arced right inside the upright from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“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.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Logic says not. During the latest victory, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.
A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot keep on blasting his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists a different scenario where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he was in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would sit third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a title charge while looking like a crucial player for the national team.
This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As Rogers faced the home supporters after the match orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
