🔗 Share this article

A mere two months in the past when the Villa attacker stood on the Sunderland turf, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, as Villa failed to win in six, doubts remained whether his displays were a sign or the source of the side's broader struggles.

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

On Sunday, in contrast, the sideline response proved to be decidedly more positive. After the England international swept in his second strike to reclaim the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician tore off his coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The team marched on to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six games, find themselves only three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard question to answer. The historical record, the perceived status of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, their performances haven't been entirely convincing during this run, despite the fact the wins have piled up.

As per the data, twice all season has the team had an expected goals figure notably superior than their opponents. For a club that have put together ten consecutive victories, they appear curiously susceptible – but at the moment the margins are falling their way.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic appears to be to trade blows with an opponent and then rely on their talisman to bail them out with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired in London, and it happened versus United.

Rogers' first goal came from an exquisite effort, curled right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first capitalizing 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?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opposition managed more efforts and more direct attempts. 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 statistical correction may well be the biggest rival the club have to face as the season progresses. The forward, surely, will not continue to blasting the football into the net's top corner indefinitely.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality where, rather than results trending towards performances, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The main striker could start adding to his goal tally.
• The winger could transform into the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the seeds of a title challenge, however, it is improbable can persist in leaning entirely on a single individual.

Enjoying the Ride

However, nobody expected this. Nobody thought the team would occupy third at Christmas. And certainly back in October, nobody thought the midfielder now would be spearheading a title charge and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

The current run should be enjoyed precisely because it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner faced the North End when the game ended leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. A feeling he has rightly earned. These spells are rare in football and ought to be celebrated.