Morgan Rogers' Scoring Streak Fuels Villa's Surprising Push for Glory

A mere two months in the past when the young forward stood on the pitch at Sunderland, seeming perplexed while the Villa manager admonished him for missing a pass in behind. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or the reason of Villa's broader struggles.

In the latest match, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the England international drilled in his brace-sealing goal to restore his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician tore off his jacket, spread his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row and after failing to win any of their first six games, find themselves just three points adrift of pace-setters Arsenal.

Is This Team Legitimate Title Contenders?

That’s a rather hard proposition to address. History, the traditional standing of the club, indicates otherwise. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding during this run, while the positive results have piled up.

Per statistical analysis, on just two occasions has the team registered an expected goals figure significantly higher than their opponents. For a club which has put together a ten-match winning streak, Villa seem weirdly vulnerable – but at the moment the margins are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The current approach seems to be to trade blows with rivals and then rely on Rogers to save the day with some crisp finishes. It happened against Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and again against Manchester United.

The initial strike came from an exquisite effort, bent right inside the goal frame from the corner of the box. For his second acted as a somewhat messier replica of his first as he seized on a setup by his strike partner.

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. During the latest victory, Manchester United had more efforts and more direct attempts. The team has secured their last eight victories by the narrowest of margins. They have allowed goals in all but one of those games.

A reversion to average might be the most significant challenge Villa have to face as the season progresses. The forward, surely, cannot keep on thrashing the ball into the net's top corner forever.

A Case for Belief

Maybe there exists an alternative path whereby, rather than results trending towards performances, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still rediscover their best form.

• The centre-forward could start finding the net regularly.
• Jadon Sancho may rediscover the performer he showed during his peak.
• The injured centre-backs are set to regain fitness, strengthening a sometimes shaky defence.

Maybe within that lies the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can continue to depend solely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

But then, this was unforeseen. Few believed the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And most definitely earlier this season, nobody thought the midfielder now would be at the forefront of a hunt for the title and appearing as a vital player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it feels so unlikely. When the match-winner stood in front of the North End when the game ended orchestrating the applause, it was clear to be relishing every moment. As he deserves to. Such periods are rare in football and should be relished.