Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 7.
Player analysis: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
In the space of eight months, Rogers has been transformed from a promising left winger into one of the Premier League’s most unique and dangerous No 10s.
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A powerful runner with the ball, the 22-year-old has been one of the standout players so far this season.
With every passing week, Unai Emery’s decision to utilise Rogers’ super-strength in central areas for Aston Villa, rather than on the flanks, looks more and more inspired.
Driving down the centre, he can cause Manchester United major problems this Sunday.
Rogers' goal v Ipswich
Morgan's first of the season 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Zd9FvmmSt3
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 29, 2024
Direct style
Rogers’ aggressive, direct style of play is perfectly suited to the way Villa attack.
They are a side who break forward at pace, and his powerful physique is tailor-made for that type of "Emery Ball".
Hungry to make an impression, Rogers currently ranks fifth in the division for attempted take-ons.
Carrying the ball with strength and speed, five of those bursts have earned fouls and a further five took him inside the opposition box.
Most attempted take-ons 2024/25
| Player | Total |
| Mohammed Kudus | 42 |
|---|---|
| Adama Traore | 41 |
| Jeremy Doku | 35 |
| Kaoru Mitoma | 33 |
| Morgan Rogers | 32 |
This superb dribble illustrated below from the halfway line against Arsenal typified the threat Rogers (circled) carries, slaloming past a string of defenders before forcing a flying save from David Raya.
Rogers is also hardworking out of possession; another trait that is important to Emery.
With the creation of transitions so vital to their success, Rogers’ ability to win the ball back in advanced areas is a huge plus.
Pressuring defenders alongside Ollie Watkins in a 4-4-2, he is excellent at then dropping back into midfield to force turnovers.
The numbers (below) show his value to Villa when they do not have the ball.
Aston Villa's top ball-winners 2024/25
| Possession won | Poss won middle/attacking thirds | ||
| Morgan Rogers | 27 | Morgan Rogers | 19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youri Tielemans | 27 | Youri Tielemans | 16 |
| Amadou Onana | 20 | Amadou Onana | 16 |
| Jacob Ramsey | 19 | Jacob Ramsey | 13 |
Change of role
Emery experimented with Rogers in central areas on occasion last season, but the bulk of his appearances were on the left side of Villa’s midfield.
Emery's wide men play quite narrowly, but as shown on Rogers' heat map from 2023/24, the England Under-21 star was largely used as a hardworking winger that tracked back with diligence.
He is now a support striker that does most of his work in and around the halfway line and beyond.
With striker Watkins naturally drawn left, Rogers has in fact spent more time on the ball in right-sided pockets.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen may struggle to cope with his physicality, so I would expect Manuel Ugarte or Kobbie Mainoo to be asked to come into the team and cope with Rogers' runs.
Weekly impact
To very little fanfare, Villa signed Rogers from Middlesbrough back in February.
Scoring three times in 11 top-flight appearances in 2023/24, he made a solid early impression, but his tremendous impact this campaign is one of the stories of the season so far.
Not many No 10s have the skillset to run at opponents with such power from central positions and rival teams are finding it difficult to curtail his influence.
His ball-carrying chalkboard (below) tells the story of an attacking midfielder who is impacting matches on a weekly basis.
Quality end product
What has made Rogers’ start to this campaign so special is the quality he brings at the end of those marauding runs.
His two assists at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers proved how calm he is with his choice of final pass in the heat of the moment.
Laying on perfectly-weighted passes for Watkins and Jhon Duran, he is very much at the top of his game right now.
The goal he created for Duran (see image below) saw Rogers explode away from his marker with a long channel run, before sliding a pass across the face of goal.
In open play, no Villa player has created as many chances as Rogers' seven.
United’s back four and midfield units have been a little disconnected at times this season, so they will need to be far more compact when they encounter Rogers and a Villa side still buzzing from their 1-0 UEFA Champions League win against Bayern Munich in midweek.