Morgan Rogers' Golden Spell Propels Villa's Improbable Championship Bid

Just 60 days prior that Morgan Rogers found himself on the Stadium of Light pitch, appearing bewildered while his coach scolded him over missing a penetrating pass. At that point, as Villa endured a six-game winless run, the question was whether Rogers' form were an indicator or the source of Villa's more general malaise.

On Sunday, in contrast, the touchline reaction proved to be much more joyous. When Rogers curled home his second strike to reclaim his side's advantage, the Spanish tactician ripped off his jacket, opened his arms and bellowed. The team marched on to a 10th successive win , having failed to win their initial half-dozen games, now sit just three points off pace-setters Arsenal.

Are They Serious Title Contenders?

That’s a particularly tough question to resolve. The historical record, a general sense of the club, argues against it. Moreover, they've rarely been wholly dominant during this run, even as the positive results have stacked up.

Per Opta, on just two occasions has the side posted an expected goals figure more than 0.5 greater than their opponents. For a club that have just won 10 in a row, Villa appear weirdly vulnerable – however right now the tight outcomes are going in their favour.

The Winning Formula

Their recent policy appears to be to engage in a shootout with an opponent and wait for their star man to save the day with some crisp finishes. This occurred against Leeds, it transpired at West Ham, and once more when facing United.

His opener originated from a brilliant finish, bent right inside the post from a wide position. For his second was essentially a slightly less clean iteration of the opener as he pounced on a pass from Watkins.

Can It Last?

Reason suggests otherwise. In the recent win, the opponents registered more shots and more efforts on goal. The team has triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all except one of those games.

A reversion to average might be the biggest rival the club will encounter over the coming weeks. The forward, almost certainly, cannot maintain thrashing the ball into the net's top corner week in, week out.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality in which, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, the level of play rises to match the results. Key players might still return to peak condition.

• The centre-forward may begin to adding to his goal tally.
• Jadon Sancho might become the force he showed in Germany.
• The injured centre-backs will eventually come back from the treatment room, strengthening a sometimes shaky backline.

This could contain the possibility of a genuine bid, but they surely can persist in leaning entirely on Morgan Rogers.

Relishing the Unlikely

However, this was unforeseen. Nobody thought Aston Villa would be in a Champions League place in December. And without a doubt earlier this season, few could imagine Rogers as the year closed would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as a crucial player for the national team.

The current run must be cherished for the very reason that it appears so improbable. When the hero positioned himself before the Villa faithful when the game ended leading the celebrations, he seemed to be relishing every moment. Which he fully merits. These runs of form are uncommon in the sport and should be relished.