"It is only two months since Morgan Rogers was standing on the Stadium of Light pitch, looking confused as Unai Emery berated him for failing to anticipate a through-ball as Aston Villa failed to beat a team that played for an hour with 10 men. At that point, as Villa went six without a win, it wasn't clear whether Rogers' form was a symptom or a cause of Villa's more general malaise."
"Are they in the title race? That's a rather hard question to answer. History, at least in the postwar era, a general sense of the status of the club, suggests not. And they have not been entirely convincing in many games this season, even as the wins have stacked up. In only two games this season have Villa had an xG more than 0.5 greater than their opponents, according to Opta."
"For a team that have just won 10 in a row, Villa look weirdly vulnerable but at the moment the margins are falling their way. Their recent policy seems to be to trade blows with an opponent and wait for Rogers to bail them out with a couple of crisp finishes. It happened at Leeds, it happened at West Ham, and it happened against Manchester United."
Aston Villa have recovered from a winless start to the season to register ten straight victories, largely thanks to Morgan Rogers' timely goals and Unai Emery's passionate leadership. The team has often relied on narrow margins and late or individual moments to secure results rather than dominating opponents. Statistical metrics show limited clear superiority in expected goals across most matches, indicating persistent vulnerability despite the winning run. The club's strategy has frequently involved trading blows with rivals and depending on Rogers to produce decisive finishes in critical moments.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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