Morgan Rogers' Golden Spell Drives The Villans' Surprising Championship Bid

It was eight weeks in the past when the Villa attacker found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, appearing bewildered as the Villa manager berated him over not reading a through-ball. At that point, as the club endured a six-game winless run, doubts remained if his performances were a symptom or a cause for the side's broader struggles.

This weekend, though, the sideline response proved to be far more favourable. When the England international curled home his second strike to reinstate the lead for Villa, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team continued to ten wins in a row , despite not winning any of their first six games, are somehow just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Genuine Hopefuls?

It remains a particularly tough question to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they have not been wholly dominant this season, while the wins have stacked up.

According to statistical analysis, twice all season has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than the other team. For a club that have just won ten consecutive victories, Villa look strangely fragile – but at the moment the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Rogers Recipe

The prevailing tactic seems to be to trade blows with an opponent before hoping their star man to save the day with two precise efforts. This was the case away to Leeds, it happened against West Ham, and again when facing Manchester United.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the upright from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, Manchester United registered more shots and more efforts on goal. They have won each of their last eight by just one goal. They have allowed goals in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average could be the biggest rival they will encounter over the coming weeks. Their key man, in all likelihood, cannot maintain blasting the ball past despairing goalkeepers forever.

Potential for Growth

Maybe there exists another reality in which, instead of luck running out, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players could still return to peak condition.

• The main striker might resume finding the net regularly.
• The attacking talent might become the performer he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to return from injury, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

This could contain the potential of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Savoring the Moment

But then, nobody expected this. Few believed Aston Villa would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly earlier this season, no one envisioned Rogers now would be spearheading a championship pursuit while looking like a crucial player for the national team.

This remarkable period is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As Rogers positioned himself before the home supporters at the final whistle leading the celebrations, he seemed to be loving the experience. Which he fully merits. Such periods are rare in football and must be appreciated.