Aston Villa’s win over Manchester City prompted praise for many of their players, but one man in particular was singled out for an effortless and ‘beautiful’ performance.
Try as they might, Man City just cannot get a win at Villa Park. Thanks to Matty Cash’s well-worked goal in the first half, Aston Villa have now won three home games in a row against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Unai Emery’s side held firm and restricted City for much of the game, with Erling Haaland in particular struggling to make an impact. Credit goes to the defence and the tactical approach for that, but one Villa man has attracted praise once more.
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Morgan Rogers was hyped up by Alan Shearer recently, and he’s now done it again after another fine display for Aston Villa.
Bernardo Silva during Manchester City v Everton - Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Clinton Morrison makes huge Morgan Rogers claim
Covering the game for BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, former Birmingham City man Clinton Morrison waxed lyrical about Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers and clearly loved the way the England international operated on the day.
He said: “Morgan Rogers has got his mojo back, he looks unbelievable at the moment. The way he just glides through defenders like they’re not there is beautiful to watch.
“A bit like Bernardo Silva. It’s so elegant and he makes the game look so easy… He has had another good game and It looks like he has got his appetite back.”
Statistics Morgan Rogers vs Man City
Minutes 90
Touches 39
Successful dribbles 1
Key passes 1
Pass success 76%
Tackle success 100%
Duels won 6
Recoveries 6
Statistics via SofaScore
After five league games without a goal contribution this season, Rogers has now hit a real purple patch and has one goal and two assists in his last four matches in the Premier League.
Against City, Rogers made one key pass as well as completing 22 passes throughout the game, made one successful dribble, and even won six of his seven ground duels and made six recoveries. Not only is he a superb playmaker, Rogers also puts in a shift defensively to help Villa dominate the middle of the park.
In many ways, it’s Amadou Onana to thank for helping control the midfield and allowing Rogers to thrive in advanced areas. When you have a player like Rogers, you must do everything you can to help him flourish.
Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Can Morgan Rogers now make a real impact for England?
It’s crucial that Morgan Rogers maintains these levels now, at the very least. As we head into a World Cup year, the Villa star will know how close he is to establishing himself in Thomas Tuchel’s thoughts for England.
Rogers knows he will continue to play regularly for Villa and that the team is essentially built to provide him the platform to influence games. Now, it’s up to him to deliver.
TalkingPoints
Should Morgan Rogers be in the starting XI for England?
Rogers has hailed Ezri Konsa’s England performances of late, but it’s his own work at international level that really matters moving forward.
He’s now got ten caps to his name and started the last three games for the Three Lions, getting his first assist and his first goal for his country, too. It certainly feels like a place in the starting XI is there for the taking for Morgan Rogers, but a lot can happen between now and next summer.