It was two months prior that the Villa attacker was standing on the Sunderland turf, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager berated him over not reading a penetrating pass. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, the question was if his performances were a symptom or the source for Villa's more general malaise.
“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”
This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. As the in-form star swept in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, Emery discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. Villa continued to ten wins in a row , after failing to win any of their first six games, now sit only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Legitimate Challengers?
It remains an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, the traditional standing of the club, suggests not. Additionally, they have not been entirely convincing in many games, even as the victories have stacked up.
Per Opta, twice all season have Villa posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a team who have put together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – yet at the moment the fine lines are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on Rogers to save the day with two clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus Manchester United.
His opener came from a superb shot, curled just inside the post from a wide position. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing on a pass from Watkins.
“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?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opposition registered more efforts and more shots on target. The team has won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those fixtures.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, will not continue to blasting the ball into the top corner indefinitely.
Reasons for Optimism
Maybe there exists another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures might still rediscover their best form.
- Ollie Watkins could start finding the net regularly.
- The attacking talent may rediscover the performer he resembled in Germany.
- The defensive duo will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.
Savoring the Moment
However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt back in October, few could imagine the midfielder by the end of the year would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title while establishing himself as a vital England player.
This winning streak should be enjoyed precisely because it appears so improbable. As the hero positioned himself before the North End after the match conducting the cheers, it was clear to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.
