A mere 60 days ago that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were an indicator or a cause of Villa's broader struggles.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
This weekend, in contrast, the manager's outburst was much more joyous. As the in-form star drilled in his second to reinstate Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician tore off his winter coat, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team marched on to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their opening six matches, find themselves just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Serious Hopefuls?
It remains a rather hard proposition to address. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they've rarely been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the positive results have accumulated.
Per statistical analysis, twice all season have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team that have strung together ten consecutive victories, they appear curiously susceptible – however currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Winning Formula
Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to rescue them with two precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against United.
His opener stemmed from a superb shot, arced right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of the opener capitalizing on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.
“Much like Robben with his left, Rogers’ right foot has become a known threat that remains brutally unstoppable, regardless of anticipation.”
How Long Can This Continue?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents had a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. Villa have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. They’ve conceded in all but one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction may well be the greatest opponent Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, surely, will not continue to drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
Potential for Growth
Could it be another reality where, rather than results trending towards performances, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures could still rediscover their best form.
- The main striker could start scoring again.
- The winger may rediscover the player he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo are due to return from injury, strengthening a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Relishing the Unlikely
But then, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would sit in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial England player.
The current run is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.
