It was eight weeks ago when the young forward was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while his coach admonished him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. Back then, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained whether his performances were a sign or a cause of the team's broader struggles.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely far more favourable. As Rogers drilled in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, the boss tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and shouted in triumph. Villa were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, find themselves only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.
Are They Serious Hopefuls?
This is a rather hard query to resolve. History, a general sense of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.
As per Opta, on just two occasions has the team had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club which has just won a ten-match winning streak, they appear strangely fragile – but at the moment the margins are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again when facing United.
His opener stemmed from a superb shot, arced precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slight scruffier version of his first as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.
“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. In the recent win, the opponents registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. The team has won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all but one of those games.
A statistical correction could be the biggest rival they must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner forever.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be a different scenario in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins might resume finding the net regularly.
- The winger may rediscover the player he resembled during his peak.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.
Maybe within that lies the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt back in October, nobody thought the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as a crucial Three Lions star.
The current run must be cherished precisely because it appears so improbable. When Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.
