Just 60 days ago when Morgan Rogers stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a sign or the reason 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, though, the sideline response proved to be much more joyous. As the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reinstate the lead for Villa, Emery tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide 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 off pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
This is a particularly tough proposition to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, even as the victories have piled up.
Per the data, in only two games has the team registered an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have put together ten consecutive victories, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – but at the moment the margins are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition and wait for their talisman to rescue them with some clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again versus United.
His opener originated from a superb shot, arced right inside the upright from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“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 had more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent they will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs could still rediscover their best form.
- The main striker may begin to scoring again.
- The winger may rediscover the performer he resembled during his peak.
- The defensive duo are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the seeds for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be spearheading a hunt for the title while looking like an essential England player.
This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it seems so surreal. As the hero faced the North End at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.
