Aston Villa recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
The result means the Midlands side leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur back into fourth place in the league table, strengthening their chances of securing a Champions League space for next season.
Unai Emery deployed a 4-4-2 formation which has worked wonders throughout the current season, partnering Ollie Watkins with Moussa Diaby up top.
The Frenchman enjoyed one of his finest displays in a Villa shirt. Not only did he open the scoring towards the end of the second half, but the winger also provided an assist for Ezri Konsa to score Villa’s second with 25 minutes left.
It was plain sailing after that as the club now head into the tie against Manchester City in a confident mood.
It was Morgan Rogers who perhaps enjoyed his best display since joining from Middlesbrough in January, enhancing his chances of a start in midweek.
Morgan Rogers’ game in numbers vs Wolves
Rogers started on the left of a four-man midfield, but he looked to get forward down the flank as often as possible.
Goals
0
Dribble attempts (successful)
5(5)
Ground duels (won)
12(8)
Lost possession
4
Touches
22
Indeed, the youngster succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts (5/5), while showing he was no pushover in his one-on-one battles, winning eight of his 12 ground duels during his time on the pitch.
Rogers also lost possession just four times, along with being fouled twice, and it finally looks as though he belongs in this Villa side.
Journalist John Townley hailed Rogers’ performance against Wolves, giving him a match rating of 7/10 while saying that the winger ‘caused problems when he drifted inside and carried the ball forward’, which is further evidence of how well he played last night.
Morgan Rogers must now start against Manchester City
John McGinn will serve the final game of his three-match suspension against City, while Nicolo Zaniolo and Jacob Ramsey have been less than convincing on the left wing when utilised there this term.
Following his display on Saturday evening, Rogers has done his chances no harm at all with regard to securing a spot in the starting XI against the champions in midweek.
During the reverse match earlier this season, Emery tactically outmanoeuvred his compatriot Pep Guardiola to secure a 1-0 win for the Villa Park side and plenty of bragging rights.
Heading into the clash undefeated across their previous three fixtures, it is clear Emery will be aiming for a positive result against City, while a win could have serious ramifications with regard to where the Premier League title ends up at the end of the season.
In his five top-flight matches, Rogers has succeeded with an impressive 92% of his dribbles, indicating that he could be a major attacking threat against the City backline.
He could use the display against Wolves as a platform to push even harder against the side who are going for their fourth league crown in a row.
Should Villa win, it could be the catalyst which sees them end the season on a high note.