🔗 Share this article

Just 60 days prior when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while Unai Emery scolded him for not reading a pass in behind. During that period, as the club endured a six-game winless run, it wasn't clear if his performances were a symptom or a cause of 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 sideline response was much more joyous. As the England international drilled in his second strike to restore the lead for Villa, the boss discarded his coat, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The team were on their way to ten wins in a row , after failing to win their initial half-dozen matches, are somehow a mere three points off table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Challengers?

That’s a particularly tough proposition to answer. Past precedent, the perceived status of Villa, indicates otherwise. Furthermore, they have not been wholly dominant this season, even as the positive results have accumulated.

Per statistical analysis, twice all season has the side had an expected goals figure notably superior than the opposition. For a team which has strung together a ten-match winning streak, Villa appear curiously susceptible – but currently the fine lines are falling their way.

The Reliant Strategy

The current approach looks like to trade blows with the opposition before hoping their star man to rescue them with a couple of precise efforts. This was the case against Leeds, it transpired in London, and once more against the Red Devils.

The initial strike originated from a superb shot, bent precisely inside the post from the edge of the area. His brace-completing goal proved to be a somewhat messier replica of goal number one as he seized on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

“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 efforts and more shots on target. They have secured their last eight victories by just one goal. They have allowed goals in nearly all of those games.

Regression to the mean may well be the greatest opponent the club will encounter over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot keep on thrashing the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Important figures may yet find their top level.

• Ollie Watkins may begin to finding the net regularly.
• The winger may rediscover the performer he showed during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable backline.

This could contain the potential for a sustained push, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Savoring the Moment

However, nobody expected this. Few believed Villa would sit third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial Three Lions star.

This remarkable period must be cherished exactly since it appears so improbable. When Rogers faced the Villa faithful at the final whistle conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form do not happen often and ought to be celebrated.