Aston Villa 4-0 Bournemouth (Buendia 28′, Onana 40′, Barkley 77′, Malen 82′)
VILLA PARK — England are blessed for No 10s right now, to the point where at least one player will find themselves unlucky to miss out on next summer’s World Cup squad.
Morgan Rogers sure doesn’t want to be that guy, with Aston Villa’s No 10 serving Thomas Tuchel a timely reminder of his quality on Sunday two days after Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden were recalled to join Rogers in England’s squad.
No goals but a sumptuous nutmeg helped setup Amadou Onana for Villa’s second in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth, and that came down the left as Rogers showcased his fondness for a free role where he is allowed to roam and dictate play.
Certainly, Tuchel sees this and is a member of the Roger’s fan club. The German has overseen eight England matches to date, starting the 23-year-old in five of those matches – including the past three.
Rogers has repaid that faith by scoring his first England goal against Wales in October, having previously starred in the 5-0 statement win over Serbia in September.
But now comes the ultimate test: Bellingham is back. The Real Madrid midfielder has been firing since returning from shoulder surgery, notably scoring and assisting against Barcelona last month.
“He did what he does best, competed at the highest level and shows he deserves to be in the squad. This is why he is here,” Tuchel said on Friday.
Tuchel also threw Foden into the No 10 mix, saying he no longer views the Manchester City star as a winger – a role he struggled with at Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate – adding: “He should have a central role that will bring out his strengths most.”
So what gives? Or more importantly, who? With just four matches remaining before Tuchel picks his World Cup squad – two this month and another couple in March – the German will be looking to land on his favoured XI before they head to North America.
And this could be the fiercest fight of them all, as it is not only Rogers fighting Foden and Bellingham for this place but also Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Palmer remains on the sidelines at Chelsea, while Gibbs-White was omitted by Tuchel before scoring in Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Leeds United on Sunday. “[There are] incredible players I’m fighting for a spot,” Gibbs-White acknowledged.
Clearly Rogers is ahead of Gibbs-White in the pecking order, but quite where he stands if every player is fit is a conundrum for Tuchel to solve.
Tuchel was keen to reward the stars of September’s squad, Rogers and Elliot Anderson, with starts against Wales and Latvia in October. And against Serbia on Thursday we will find out if England’s manager sticks with his new favourites.
Either way, Rogers is in line to have at least a major impact off the bench at the World Cup, assuming he stays fit, while it is no coincidence Villa’s sticky start to the season is a thing of the past now their most valuable player is back into his stride.
Last season’s PFA Young Player of the Year initially struggled to replicate his 2024-25 campaign as Villa waited six Premier League games for a win.
Now they have won five of their last six in the league, sitting sixth in the table just four points off Manchester City in second, while Rogers has got a swagger in his step.
Your next read
A stunner at Tottenham Hotspur helped Villa earn a comeback win in October, while he assisted in the wins over Fulham and Burnley, and really should have been given another assist on Sunday – his pass to Onana appearing to take a slight deflection.
Nevertheless, no Premier League player has recorded more assists in 2025 across all competitions than Rogers, and though he would argue that tally should be 13 and not 12, it is this creative spark that makes him a Tuchel favourite and a player admired well beyond Villa.
That explains why a new contract looks imminent for Rogers just 12 months after his last extension.
The six-year deal is Villa’s own hands-off warning, with Chelsea among those heavily linked, and at this rate one suspects the Midlands club will not budge even if offers in the realms of Jack Grealish’s £100m transfer to Manchester City are in play.