Just eight weeks ago that the young forward found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while the Villa manager scolded him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, with the team went six without a win, the question was if his performances were a symptom or the source 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 much more joyous. When the England international swept in his second strike to restore his side's advantage, Emery discarded his winter coat, threw his arms wide and roared. The team continued to a tenth straight victory and having failed to win any of their first six fixtures, now sit just three points behind pace-setters Arsenal.
That’s an exceptionally difficult query to resolve. History, the traditional standing of Villa, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant in many games, despite the fact the victories have stacked up.
As 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 10 in a row, Villa appear strangely fragile – yet currently the margins are swinging for them.
The prevailing tactic seems to be to exchange chances with rivals and then rely on their talisman to save the day with two clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and once more versus the Red Devils.
Rogers' first goal originated from a superb shot, arced just inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as 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.”
Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more shots on target. They have won each of their last eight by a single goal. They’ve conceded in nearly all of those games.
A statistical correction could be the greatest opponent they will encounter as the season progresses. Their key man, almost certainly, will not continue to blasting his shots into the net's top corner forever.
Perhaps there is a different scenario where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the team's displays improve to justify the wins. Key players might still rediscover their best form.
Perhaps there is in that the potential for a sustained push, but they surely can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.
However, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable the team would sit third at Christmas. And most definitely back in October, no one envisioned the midfielder now would be leading a title charge while looking like a vital player for the national team.
This winning streak must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. As the match-winner positioned himself before the North End after the match leading the celebrations, he appeared to be loving the experience. As he deserves to. These runs of form are rare in football and must be appreciated.
