Morgan Rogers' Scoring Streak Fuels Aston Villa's Surprising Championship Bid

It was two months in the past that Morgan Rogers found himself on the pitch at Sunderland, looking confused as his coach berated him for not reading a penetrating pass. During that period, as the club went six without a win, the question was if his displays were an indicator or the source of the team's wider issues.

This weekend, though, the sideline response was much more joyous. After the in-form star curled home his brace-sealing goal to reclaim Villa's lead, the Spanish tactician discarded his jacket, opened his arms and shouted in triumph. The Birmingham club were on their way to ten wins in a row and despite not winning any of their first six fixtures, find themselves only three points adrift of table-toppers Arsenal.

Is This Team Serious Challengers?

This is a rather hard proposition to answer. History, the perceived status of the club, argues against it. Additionally, they have not been completely commanding this season, even as the positive results have accumulated.

As per Opta, on just two occasions has the side posted an xG significantly higher than the opposition. For a team that have put together 10 in a row, Villa seem curiously susceptible – however right now the tight outcomes are swinging for them.

The Winning Formula

The prevailing tactic appears to be to engage in a shootout with rivals before hoping their star man to save the day with two clinical strikes. This occurred away to Leeds, it occurred against West Ham, and it happened versus United.

His opener came from an exquisite effort, arced precisely inside the upright from the edge of the area. The follow-up goal acted as a slightly less clean iteration of goal number one capitalizing on a setup by his strike partner.

Can It Last?

Logic says not. Against United, Manchester United registered a greater number of attempts and more direct attempts. They have triumphed in eight consecutive games by just one goal. The defence has been breached in all but one of those fixtures.

A reversion to average may well be the biggest rival Villa have to face over the coming weeks. Rogers, almost certainly, will not continue to thrashing the football past despairing goalkeepers forever.

A Case for Belief

Could it be another reality whereby, instead of outcomes regressing to match displays, performances begin to trend towards results. Important figures could still find their top level.

• The centre-forward might resume scoring again.
• The winger may rediscover the force he resembled at Borussia Dortmund.
• Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are due to come back from the treatment room, fortifying an occasionally vulnerable defensive unit.

Perhaps there is in that the seeds of a genuine bid, yet it seems unlikely can persist in leaning entirely on one man.

Enjoying the Ride

Yet, this is a surprise. It seemed improbable Aston Villa would occupy third at Christmas. And without a doubt two months ago, few could imagine the young forward now would be at the forefront of a championship pursuit while establishing himself as an essential Three Lions star.

This winning streak is to be savoured exactly since it feels so unlikely. As the hero stood in front of the Villa faithful after the match orchestrating the applause, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying it. As he deserves to. Such periods are uncommon in the sport and ought to be celebrated.