Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers might well be coming out of his difficult start to the season
Morgan Rogers of England celebrates with Ollie Watkins
Morgan Rogers of England celebrates with Ollie Watkins(Image: Getty Images)
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Morgan Rogers’ form has been a cause for concern this season, but the Aston Villa forward has recently shown more encouraging signs.
After registering assists in Villa’s last two league matches against Fulham and Burnley, Rogers went on to score his first goal for England last weekend against Wales.
The 23-year-old has provided more assists in the Premier League in 2025 (nine) than any other player and could set up goals in three consecutive league matches for the first time this weekend, when Villa face Tottenham.
Being crowned PFA Young Player of the Year has not only increased the pressure on Rogers but also brought him greater attention. As a result, he has often been doubled up on by opponents this season.
Speaking on Claret & Blue, Villa correspondent John Townley discussed Rogers’ season so far and the more encouraging performances he has produced in recent weeks.
“He’s had a handful of games where he struggled to deal with two opposition players on him, but just as an example, if you put Rogers in a team like, say, Chelsea, alongside Cole Palmer, Neto, and others, you can’t just focus on one man. And now he has to adapt to that attention.
“I’m not saying Villa is a one-man team, but at the start of the season, with Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendia, Guessand - who just arrived - or John McGinn on the right wing, it’s obvious where opponents need to focus.
“That’s why other teams will try to limit him, but for us, we’ve seen how well he plays for England. There’s even talk of him playing ahead of Bellingham at the World Cup, which last season would have seemed farfetched. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Bellingham doesn’t walk straight back into that England team.
“Looking at some stats, Rogers has assisted more goals in 2025 than any other Premier League player, with nine. So, he’s clearly doing something right even recently. Only a couple of those assists have come this season so far, but it shows the bulk of last season was very productive. The few games where he hasn’t performed aren’t the norm — they’re the outliers.
“We often raise players to such a high level that when they dip slightly in form, people panic. Even when Jack Grealish came through at Villa, we couldn’t expect consistency all the time. But give Rogers time — let him breathe. He has only had one full season in the Premier League.
"Even Jack had games early in his Villa career where he struggled, got kicked around, and couldn’t get on the ball. Teams focus on players like that to stop them. Morgan Rogers is in somewhat of a similar situation — it’s normal.
“I’m not particularly worried. As long as he overcomes the attention and pressure, he’ll be fine. Part of his struggle might have been overthinking under pressure, which appears to have affected his passing in particular, but he always looks for the ball and wants to get involved. That’s something to praise him for.
“Is it realistic to expect him to match last year’s output or improve it? From the start, most people would say no. But I don’t see this as a season where he goes completely quiet either. He’s already got two assists, and if he adds another against Spurs, it would be the first time he’s had three assists in a row in the Premier League. It’s not all bad — it’s just frustrating when he makes basic mistakes.”
What did you make of Rogers' start to the season? Tell us here
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