The international break has presented Unai Emery the perfect time to reflect at Aston Villa after going through a difficult period.
Aston Villa are winless in their last five in all competitions and lost their previous two Premier League matches.
The losses and poor performances have come thick and fast for Unai Emery but the Villans still sit in a prominent position in the Premier League – currently in ninth and one point off third place Chelsea.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 9 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
Emery’s aim this term is, of course, to qualify for the Champions League for the second year running and cement the Villans in a position of power in the transfer market.
The Spaniard has used that power to lure the likes of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen to Villa Park in the summer but it’s one signing he made last January who has arguably been the most impressive.
What Morgan Rogers is best at in the Premier League
Morgan Rogers’ rise to stardom has been truly remarkable.
One year ago he was playing for Middlesbrough in the Championship and now he’s one of Europe’s finest talents after signing for £15 million in January 2024.
Rogers was called up to Lee Carsley’s England squad after impressing in the Premier League and Champions League – scoring three and assisting three in all competitions.
The 22-year-old has predominantly played as a number 10 under Emery and has become famed for his ball-carrying abilities, scaring the life out of defenders with his pace, agility and power in transition.
Rogers has been dubbed ‘unplayable’ for such attributes while journalist John Townley believes he’s one of the league’s best at carrying the ball.
“Rogers’ opportunities to play on the transition, when he’s arguably one of the best players in the Premier League at doing that in turning and carrying the ball, have been limited, unless we’re one, or maybe two nil up,” Townley said on the Claret & Blue podcast.
“So at the moment, we’re coming up against sides who are happy to kind of camp in, not against Tottenham or Liverpool, but most teams, like kind of take it as an average, Villa will dominate possession against most sides and be in their half. A bit more kind of guile, a bit more something, to kind of pick that lock, as I say.”
Rogers has now signed a new contract at Aston Villa, keeping him at the club till 2030, and this is huge news.
- READ MORE: Ezri Konsa injury means two Aston Villa youngsters could now step up – but there’s one clear winner
Rogers Champions League statistics
Villa tasted their first defeat of the Champions League campaign before the break as Club Brugge secured a 1-0 win.
It was a loss that failed to remove the gloss of what has been a brilliant start for Emery’s men, with the Villans sitting in ninth position, three points shy of the summit.
Several players have shone on Europe’s biggest stage and none more so than Rogers, who has sprinkled exceptional levels of class against his opponents.
| Rogers Champions League stats per 90 2024/25 | Statistic |
| Shots total | 2.44 |
| Shot-creating actions | 4.88 |
| Progressive passes | 4.88 |
| Progressive carries | 3.52 |
| Successful take-ons | 4.61 |
| Assists | 0.27 |
As delineated by the above table, Rogers has left his mark in Europe and remarkably, ranks in the top 2% of Champions League attackers for successful take-ons, evincing his quality.
Villa host Juventus next Wednesday night and the England international will be hoping to produce the match-winning moment.
