🔗 Share this article

A mere eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach admonished him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or a cause of the team's broader struggles.

“When Rogers netted his second… Emery tore off his coat, threw his arms wide, and bellowed in delight.”

This weekend, though, the touchline reaction was entirely much more joyous. After the in-form star swept in his second to reinstate his side's advantage, Emery ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club marched on to a tenth straight victory and despite not winning their initial half-dozen games, find themselves only three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

This is a particularly tough proposition to resolve. The historical record, the traditional standing of Villa, indicates otherwise. Moreover, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the wins have accumulated.

As per statistical analysis, on just two occasions have Villa had an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a side who have just won ten consecutive victories, the Villans appear curiously susceptible – yet right now the margins are falling their way.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with rivals before hoping their star man to save the day with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened away to Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened against the Red Devils.

The initial strike stemmed from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the post from the corner of the box. For his second was essentially a slight scruffier version of his first capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

“Rogers’ right foot is now akin to Robben’s legendary left: forewarned does not mean forearmed, and stopping him is another matter entirely.”

How Long Can This Continue?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition registered more shots and more efforts on goal. They have secured their last eight victories by a single goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.

A statistical correction may well be the biggest rival Villa will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, in all likelihood, cannot keep on blasting the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Reasons for Optimism

Maybe there exists an alternative path where, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Important figures may yet rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward may begin to scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• The injured centre-backs are set to come back from the treatment room, strengthening a periodically leaky backline.

Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely cannot keep relying on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would be in a Champions League place in December. And certainly back in October, nobody thought Rogers as the year closed would be spearheading a title charge while establishing himself as an essential player for the national team.

This winning streak is to be savoured precisely because it appears so improbable. When the match-winner positioned himself before the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, it was clear to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and should be relished.