🔗 Share this article

A mere eight weeks in the past that the Villa attacker stood on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as the Villa manager admonished him over missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether his displays were a symptom or the source of Villa's broader struggles.

“Following Rogers' second strike… Emery discarded his jacket, extended his arms, and let out a triumphant roar.”

In the latest match, however, the touchline reaction was decidedly more positive. After Rogers curled home his second strike to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, threw his arms wide and bellowed. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory , despite not winning their opening six matches, find themselves a mere three points behind table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Hopefuls?

It remains a rather hard question to address. The historical record, the traditional standing of this institution, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, while the wins have accumulated.

According to Opta, on just two occasions has the side registered an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club who have put together a ten-match winning streak, they seem strangely fragile – but currently the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic looks like to exchange chances with an opponent and wait for their talisman to rescue them with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened at Leeds, it transpired against West Ham, and it happened versus United.

The initial strike stemmed from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the upright from a wide position. His brace-completing goal was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more shots and more efforts on goal. Villa have won each of their last eight by the narrowest of margins. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge they will encounter as the season progresses. Rogers, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the football into the top corner week in, week out.

Reasons for Optimism

Perhaps there is an alternative path whereby, instead of results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Vital cogs may yet rediscover their best form.

• The main striker could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho might become the performer he showed in Germany.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to regain fitness, bolstering a sometimes shaky defensive unit.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a title challenge, but they surely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this was unforeseen. Few believed Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt two months ago, no one envisioned Rogers by the end of the year would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as an essential player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When the hero faced the North End at the final whistle orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.