It was eight weeks ago that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, with the team failed to win in six, the question was if his displays were an indicator or a cause of the side's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, however, the sideline response was entirely much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, opened his arms and roared. The team continued to ten wins in a row and despite not winning their opening six matches, are somehow a mere three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is This Team Serious Hopefuls?
It remains an exceptionally difficult question to address. Past precedent, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they have not been entirely convincing during this run, while the wins have piled up.
Per the data, in only two games have Villa posted an xG notably superior than the other team. For a side which has just won a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem curiously susceptible – yet right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with some crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United.
The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent just inside the upright from the edge of the area. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.
“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.”
Can It Last?
Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United managed more shots and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by the narrowest of margins. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.
Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot maintain drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Could it be another reality whereby, rather than luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures could still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins may begin to scoring again.
- Jadon Sancho could transform into the player he showed in Germany.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.
This could contain the seeds of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
Yet, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly earlier this season, few could imagine the midfielder now would be leading a title charge while looking like a vital England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended leading the celebrations, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.
