It was two months in the past when the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him for not reading a pass in behind. At that point, as the club went six without a win, doubts remained whether Rogers' form were an indicator or a cause for the team'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, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. After the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The Birmingham club continued to a 10th successive win and despite not winning their opening six fixtures, find themselves only three points behind the leaders Arsenal.
Is Aston Villa Genuine Hopefuls?
This is an exceptionally difficult proposition to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, argues against it. Additionally, they've rarely been completely commanding in many games, even as the positive results have accumulated.
According to statistical analysis, twice all season has the side registered an expected goals figure notably superior than the other team. For a side which has just won 10 in a row, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – but right now the margins are going in their favour.
The Reliant Strategy
The current approach seems to be to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with two precise efforts. This occurred at Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and once more versus United.
His opener stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal was essentially a slight scruffier version of goal number one 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.”
Can It Last?
Reason suggests otherwise. Against United, the opponents had more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. The defence has been breached in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction could be the biggest rival Villa must confront over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain drilling his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.
A Case for Belief
Perhaps there is an alternative path in which, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players could still rediscover their best form.
- The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
- The winger might become the player he showed at Borussia Dortmund.
- The defensive duo are due to return from injury, bolstering an occasionally vulnerable defence.
Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.
Relishing the Unlikely
However, nobody expected this. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while looking like a vital Three Lions star.
This remarkable period is to be savoured for the very reason that it appears so improbable. As the hero faced the North End after the match conducting the cheers, he seemed to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. These spells do not happen often and must be appreciated.
