Aston Villa beat Spartak Trnava 3-0 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon, with one player standing out once again.
Unai Emery will head to the United States with his Aston Villa side in encouraging form after beating Spartak Trnava 3-0 in their most recent pre-season friendly.
So far, the Villans have secured two 3-0 victories to begin the 2024/25 preparations, beating the Slovakian side on Saturday afternoon and winning against Walsall on Wednesday evening.
Goals from Leon Bailey, Cameron Archer and Morgan Rogers secured the win against Spartak Trnava, seeing the latter thrive once more.
Morgan Rogers impressed again in pre-season as Aston Villa beat Spartak Trnava in friendly
The 2023/24 campaign was a strong one for Rogers, who signed for Villa from Middlesbrough in the January window.
The Englishman’s role in Emery’s side was initially expected to be that of a sporadic nature however, injuries paved the way for him to impress in the first team.
Having impressed in the latter stages of last term, Rogers seems to be continuing where he left off, having scored three goals and claimed one assist from Villa’s opening two pre-season games.
Journalist John Townley praised Rogers as being a figure who made a ‘real difference’ against Spartak Trnava, as he showcased what he can offer to the manager ahead of next season.
While fans will be alerted to what the former Manchester City academy star has been doing in pre-season, other members of Emery’s squad will also feel encouraged.
Ollie Watkins will be eager to play with Rogers again next season
While last season was strong for Rogers, it was the best of Ollie Watkins’ career as the striker excelled in claret and blue.
The Villa striker contributed to 40 goals in all competitions over the season, and could now reach even greater heights after seeing Rogers’ start to pre-season.
Against Spartak Trnava, the 21-year-old not only scored, but claimed an assist, where his movement in the final third to set up Archer hinted at what he could offer to Watkins next season.
Despite recording impressive numbers last term, the Villa talisman did not have a consistent presence behind him to provide added creativity, with Emery switching between players to occupy the space supporting Watkins.
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Given what Rogers has been doing in pre-season in such role, the 28-year-old could be even more excited to play with the January arrival in 2024/25, as his possible position becomes more clear.
The former Championship ace played in a variety of areas last season, predominantly on the left side where he dazzled at taking on the opposition and frequently bombing into central areas to cause problems.
While the 21-year-old’s approach to play was encouraging, it was also raw, reinforcing how beneficial his pre-season form could be to Villa for the remainder of the year.
Only time will tell if Emery opts to play Rogers behind Watkins however, after reviewing what the Englishman has done against both Walsall and Spartak Trnava, it would be a strong idea to trial him behind Villa’s talisman next campaign.
