I re-watched Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal in full, I still can’t believe what Morgan Rogers did
Aston Villa made a shock move when they swooped for Morgan Rogers at Middlesbrough, but it hasn’t half paid off.
I was sceptical after Villa secured a 1-0 win away to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup that Unai Emery was setting his sights on signing one of their players.
Matty Cash scored a late winner against Middlesbrough, and watching on from the away end, I couldn’t see anyone of true quality on the pitch for the home side.
Rogers came in at Aston Villa and was slowly eased in at Villa Park, and did have a positive first half-season in the Premier League.
It took until his first full campaign to truly show his quality, with myself and fans far and wide being left amazed by Rogers’ true breakout performance against Arsenal in August 2024.
Morgan Rogers was sensational against Arsenal at Villa Park
Rogers is now the reigning PFA Young Player of the Year and is an England regular under Thomas Tuchel ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Over 12 months ago, he was a relative unknown among general football fans, with even Villa supporters unsure what sort of player he could become.
From the start, I enjoyed his willingness always to look forward when on the ball, while also having excellent close control.
That became common knowledge in the Premier League last year when Villa welcomed Arsenal to Villa Park and lost 2-0.
Even if Emery lost to his former side, Rogers’ performance hasn’t been forgotten.
I was amazed to see how excellent Rogers was and made complete light work of the Arsenal midfield, consisting of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard.
I have re-watched the clash in B6, and even a year later, it can’t be understated just how sensational he was.
There are so many instances when he picked up the ball and outmuscled the opposition before driving forward with ease.
Ollie Watkins should have scored when Rogers put him through on goal, before his run turned Rice inside out before David Raya just about stopped the striker from netting.
- Read more:
Rogers passed the eye test and stunned statistically for Aston Villa vs Arsenal
The attacking midfielder started in the 10 role and featured across 90 minutes, even with the likes of Jacob Ramsey, Jhon Duran and Ross Barkley coming on.
Rogers was deserving of that after putting in a stellar shift that is up there with one of the best I’ve seen at Villa Park in many years.
The Englishman took 48 touches and was able to create two chances across his 19 accurate passes, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I was blown away by the fact that he completed five dribbles and was also able to win 80 per cent of his ground duels throughout the 90.
This performance has set the tone for the rest of his Villa career, and I’m hopeful that he can replicate this level of performance when Arsenal rock up to B6 on Saturday.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247