🔗 Share this article

Just 60 days in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach berated him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as the club failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or a cause of the side's wider issues.

“As Rogers swept in his second… Emery ripped off his thick padded coat, spread his arms and roared.”

This weekend, in contrast, the touchline reaction was entirely decidedly more positive. As the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa continued to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow just three points adrift of the leaders Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Title Contenders?

That’s an exceptionally difficult proposition to resolve. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Moreover, they've rarely been completely commanding this season, even as the victories have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa posted an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has strung together ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the margins are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to engage in a shootout with rivals and then rely on their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and again versus Manchester United.

The initial strike came from a superb shot, bent right inside the post from a wide position. The follow-up goal 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?

Common sense dictates no. In the recent win, the opponents managed more efforts and more direct attempts. They have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the most significant challenge Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the top corner week in, week out.

Potential for Growth

Perhaps there is another reality in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still find their top level.

• The main striker may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger might become the performer he was during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually regain fitness, strengthening a periodically leaky defensive unit.

This could contain the potential of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this is a surprise. Nobody thought Aston Villa would occupy in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought Rogers now would be spearheading a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

This remarkable period should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. When Rogers faced the home supporters at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, he seemed to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.