Morgan Rogers' Rich Vein of Form Drives Villa's Surprising Championship Bid

A mere eight weeks prior that the Villa attacker found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him over failing to anticipate a penetrating pass. During that period, with the team went six without a win, doubts remained if Rogers' form were a symptom or the source of the side's more general malaise.

In the latest match, in contrast, the manager's outburst proved to be far more favourable. When the in-form star drilled in his second strike to reclaim Villa's lead, Emery tore off his winter coat, spread his arms and roared. Villa marched on to a 10th successive win , despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, are somehow just three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is Aston Villa Serious Title Contenders?

This is a rather hard query to address. The historical record, a general sense of Villa, suggests not. Furthermore, their performances haven't been wholly dominant in many games, while the positive results have stacked up.

According to the data, on just two occasions have Villa had an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a side which has put together a ten-match winning streak, the Villans seem weirdly vulnerable – however at the moment the fine lines are going in their favour.

The Rogers Recipe

The current approach looks like to exchange chances with an opponent before hoping Rogers to save the day with a couple of clinical strikes. It happened against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and it happened versus United.

His opener originated from an exquisite effort, curled just inside the goal frame from a wide position. The follow-up goal proved to be a slightly less clean iteration of his first as he pounced on an Ollie Watkins lay-off.

Is It Sustainable?

Logic says not. In the recent win, the opposition managed more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has secured their last eight victories by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those games.

Regression to the mean might be the biggest rival they must confront in the near future. Their key man, surely, cannot keep on thrashing his shots into the net's top corner indefinitely.

A Case for Belief

Perhaps there is another reality where, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Key players may yet return to peak condition.

• Ollie Watkins could start scoring again.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he resembled during his peak.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are set to come back from the treatment room, fortifying a sometimes shaky defence.

Perhaps there is in that the potential of a genuine bid, however, it is improbable can continue to depend solely on Morgan Rogers.

Enjoying the Ride

However, this is a surprise. Nobody thought the team would be in the top three for the holidays. And certainly two months ago, no one envisioned the young forward as the year closed would be at the forefront of a title charge and appearing as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it seems so surreal. When Rogers faced the home supporters when the game ended conducting the cheers, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Which he fully merits. These spells are uncommon in the sport and must be appreciated.