A mere two months prior when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed as the Villa manager berated him over not reading a through-ball. Back then, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained if his displays were an indicator or the reason for Villa's more general malaise.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
On Sunday, though, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. After Rogers drilled in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery ripped off his coat, spread his arms and bellowed. The Birmingham club continued to a tenth straight victory and after failing to win any of their first six matches, now sit only three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?
That’s a particularly tough proposition to resolve. History, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been completely commanding in many games, even as the wins have stacked up.
Per the data, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a team which has put together 10 in a row, Villa look curiously susceptible – however currently the margins are swinging for them.
The Rogers Recipe
Their recent policy appears to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on Rogers to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more against the Red Devils.
The initial strike originated from a superb shot, curled precisely inside the post from a wide position. For his second acted as a slight scruffier version of goal number one as he seized on a pass from Watkins.
“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?
Common sense dictates no. During the latest victory, the opposition had more efforts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all except one of those fixtures.
A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, surely, cannot keep on drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is a different scenario in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still return to peak condition.
- The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
- The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled during his peak.
- The injured centre-backs are due to come back from the treatment room, bolstering a sometimes shaky backline.
Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a title challenge, yet it seems unlikely cannot keep relying on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And without a doubt two months ago, nobody thought the midfielder as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge while looking like a crucial England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed exactly since it appears so improbable. As the match-winner positioned himself before the Villa faithful at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.
