A mere eight weeks prior when the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused while his coach admonished him for failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained whether his displays were a symptom or a cause for the team's wider issues.
“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”
In the latest match, though, the manager's outburst was far more favourable. When the England international swept in his brace-sealing goal to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. Villa marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit only three points off table-toppers Arsenal.
Is This Team Genuine Challengers?
This is an exceptionally difficult query to address. The historical record, the perceived status of this institution, argues against it. Furthermore, their performances haven't been entirely convincing in many games, despite the fact the wins have stacked up.
Per Opta, in only two games have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than the opposition. For a team which has just won ten consecutive victories, they seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the tight outcomes are falling their way.
The Reliant Strategy
The prevailing tactic seems to be to engage in a shootout with the opposition before hoping their star man to bail them out with two clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it occurred in London, and once more when facing Manchester United.
His opener originated from a superb shot, bent just inside the post from a wide position. His brace-completing goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration 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?
Common sense dictates no. Against United, the opposition managed more shots and more shots on target. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those matches.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent they have to face in the near future. Their key man, surely, will not continue to drilling the football into the net's top corner forever.
A Case for Belief
Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still find their top level.
- The centre-forward may begin to finding the net regularly.
- Jadon Sancho may rediscover the player he was in Germany.
- The injured centre-backs will eventually return from injury, strengthening an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.
Maybe within that lies the potential of a title challenge, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.
Enjoying the Ride
But then, this was unforeseen. It seemed improbable the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the young forward now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as an essential player for the national team.
This remarkable period must be cherished for the very reason that it seems so surreal. When the match-winner faced the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These spells are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.
