By Alex RobertsDon’t expect Emery, or anyone at Villa to admit it anytime soon, but they are in the title race. Good sides win when they don’t play well, and that’s exactly what Emery’s side did in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea and the one over Man United in the game before that.Yes, if you look at Villa’s xG, they’re technically a bottom half side, and they’re correct, Villa are massively overperforming their underlying numbers. They’re 15th for xG (19.9), 12th for big chances created (35), and 14th for touches in the opposition box (412).I’m going to risk sounding like every boomer pundit across the UK, but what really matters at the end of the day, however, is points on the board and balls in the back of the net. With 39 points from a possible 54, three off league leaders Arsenal, Villa have every right to be where they are.Arguably one of the best coached sides in England, Villa still need to rely on a couple of magic moments, and none of their current crop of players have produced as many as Morgan Rogers over the past one-and-a-half seasons.It was a big ask for Rogers when he came in, the man tasked with finally replacing club legend and boyhood Villian Jack Grealish after more established attackers like Philippe Coutinho and Leon Bailey had failed. Where the others crumbled, Rogers has thrived under the pressure of being the club’s main man and poster boy. Just don’t mention the fact he started his career at West Brom before coming through the youth ranks at Man City.Roger’s season summary at Villa, highlighting the 2024/25 campaignAt the start of the season, Rogers looked like half the player that was named PFA Young Player of the Year, lacking the energy, quality on the ball, and pace we’ve come to know and love. Even the Villa fans were getting on his case, jeering Rogers in their 1-0 Europa League win over Bologna.That game was a real low moment. Rogers played the full 90 minutes, lost the most duels (12), had one shot that nearly went out for a throw in, and completed 10 of his 24 attempted passes. It was so bad the Villa fans sarcastically cheered whenever he actually found a teammate.Now, we’re not going to advocate for fans getting on the backs of their own players, but it clearly worked. Rogers got his act together after that game, just as Emery predicted he would. “Morgan is young and needs time for experiences,” said Emery. “I kept him on the field because I wanted to see his reaction, how he was accepting everything. He didn’t play well and wasn’t clinical in the attacking third, but I wanted to keep him on.“He needs to take experiences [like] today, not playing every game well, the crowd not being happy with him. It’s [about] getting his experiences and growing up through it.”Rogers’ dip in form wasn’t entirely his fault, Villa as a whole looked lost in their first five Premier League games. Emery recognised that, and a tactical tweak has since got his side, and Rogers, back on track.Villa averaged 59.56% possession in that time, with 76.4% in the 1-0 defeat to Brentford and 71.4% in the 1-1 draw away at Sunderland. From match day six up until the 2-1 win over Man United, that dropped drastically, and Villa had the ball an average of 50.02%.That has helped get the best out of Rogers. He’s a player that thrives in transition, running at defenders with the ball at his feet rather than trying to intricately play his way through a low block like they were trying to do.Rogers’ passing numbers, Premier League games onlyRogers is a risk taker, he’s completed the second most through balls in the Premier League so far this season with 13, three off Man United’s Bruno Fernandes, with a pass rate in the final third success rate of 66%. He’s losing the ball more often than anyone else at Villa, but the pros outweigh the cons.His brace against Man United made Rogers the first Aston Villa player to score two or more goals in two consecutive Premier League games since Dion Dublin all the way back in 1998.That game should be considered the benchmark. Rogers was at his absolute best as Villa hosted a somewhat resurgent United, reminding Ruben Amorim that his side still have some way to go before competing for major silverware.Rogers’ possession numbers, Premier League games onlyRogers had the fewest touches of any outfield player to play the full 90 minutes (33), but he didn’t need any more than that to inflict maximum damage on United, making young Leny Yoro look a bit silly in the process.His first goal just before the break was a real work of art. Rogers plucked the ball out of the air, needing to give chase to stop it going out of play. Yoro was there but the Villa man barely acknowledged him before turning on the pace and curling the ball beyond Senne Lammens.Yoro took his eyes off Rogers for his second goal, allowing him to saunter into the box and get a hold of it after some poor defender from Ayden Heaven, again curling in past the United ‘keeper to secure all three points.All of this has certainly caught the attention of England boss Thomas Tuchel, who is clearly a big fan of Rogers. The forward has featured in all of the squads since he took over, starting six of his ten games.With the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Jude Bellingham also vying for that number ten spot for the summer’s World Cup, Aston Villa’s very own Rogers has laid down the marker.(Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every game from the Premier League on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.