A mere two months in the past that the young forward was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, seeming perplexed as his coach scolded him for not reading a penetrating pass. Back then, as the club went six without a win, the question was whether Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of the side's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
On Sunday, however, the sideline response was far more favourable. As the in-form star swept in his second to restore his side's advantage, Emery tore off his winter coat, opened his arms and bellowed. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory , having failed to win their initial half-dozen fixtures, are somehow just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.
Are They Legitimate Title Contenders?
It remains a rather hard question to answer. History, a general sense of the club, suggests not. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding during this run, even as the positive results have piled up.
As per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the opposition. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa look curiously susceptible – but right now the margins are swinging for them.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and wait for their star man to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred at West Ham, and once more when facing the Red Devils.
His opener came from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of the opener capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”
Can It Last?
Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those fixtures.
A reversion to average might be the biggest rival Villa have to face in the near future. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot keep on drilling the football past despairing goalkeepers week in, week out.
Potential for Growth
Could it be another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.
- The main striker might resume adding to his goal tally.
- Jadon Sancho might become the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
- The injured centre-backs are set to return from injury, fortifying a periodically leaky defence.
Maybe within that lies the possibility of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
Yet, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Villa would sit in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the midfielder as the year closed would be leading a hunt for the title while looking like a crucial Three Lions star.
This winning streak must be cherished precisely because it seems so surreal. As the hero positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.
