It was eight weeks prior when Morgan Rogers was standing on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered as Unai Emery scolded him over failing to anticipate a through-ball. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were a symptom or a cause of Villa's wider issues.
“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”
On Sunday, though, the manager's outburst was entirely much more joyous. After the England international drilled in his second to reclaim his side's advantage, the boss discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow a mere three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Challengers?
This is an exceptionally difficult question to answer. Past precedent, a general sense of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, even as the victories have accumulated.
As per the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team who have just won ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.
The Winning Formula
The current approach appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on Rogers to rescue them with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and again against the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from a brilliant finish, curled right inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one as he seized on a pass from Watkins.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in all except one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average could be the biggest rival the club must confront in the near future. Their key man, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Could it be another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still return to peak condition.
- Ollie Watkins could start adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the force he resembled during his peak.
- The defensive duo are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a title charge while looking like an essential Three Lions star.
This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the hero faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.
