A mere eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker stood on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered as his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a pass in behind. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a sign or a cause for the side's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
In the latest match, though, the touchline reaction was much more joyous. As Rogers swept in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his coat, opened his arms and roared. The Birmingham club continued to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six matches, are somehow just three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Title Contenders?
That’s a rather hard proposition to resolve. History, the traditional standing of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, they have not been entirely convincing this season, while the victories have accumulated.
As per Opta, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure significantly higher than the other team. For a club that have strung together ten consecutive victories, Villa look strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to save the day with some precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and once more versus United.
The initial strike originated from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the upright from the corner of the box. His brace-completing goal acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first capitalizing 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?
Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United managed more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those matches.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on drilling the football into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Could it be another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures could still find their top level.
- Ollie Watkins might resume scoring again.
- The attacking talent might become the player he was at Borussia Dortmund.
- Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to regain fitness, bolstering a periodically leaky defence.
This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would be third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.
This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful after the match 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.
