Aston Villa had a host of top performers on show against Arsenal on Sunday, with journalist John Townley raving about the impact of one Unai Emery signing.
It was a weekend to remember for Aston Villa, who beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates to overtake Tottenham in the race for the top four.
Unai Emery’s side were formidable against his former club, making it a treacherous afternoon for the Gunners, who lost footing in the title race at the hands of the Villans.
Goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins handed Mikel Arteta’s squad a late sucker punch, as the two forwards struck in the 84th and 87th minute to present Arsenal with their first defeat of 2024.
Diego Carlos was awarded Sky Sports’ Man of the Match for his performance by Gary Neville, with Emi Martinez also earning high praise for his input however, another star has recently been lauded for his role in the victory.
Morgan Rogers earned high praise for his performance against Arsenal
Earning his fifth consecutive Premier League start for Villa against the Gunners, Morgan Rogers was extremely impressive playing centrally just behind Watkins.
The 21-year-old, who was dubbed as the “under-appreciated” performer against Arsenal by pundit Robbie Mustoe, has now received further praise from journalist John Townley, who waxed lyrical about the Englishman on the Claret and Blue podcast.
“Morgan Rogers ticks all the boxes, he’s a local lad as well. It’s almost like the full package there, it’s a fantastic signing and full credit to Monchi on this one, and Emery of course.”
“To get him for £8m rising to £15m, you kind of think how are we the only ones seeing this, he was doing it at Middlesbrough, he was at City. It was a fantastic bit of business for Villa to get him.”
Signed from the Championship in January, Rogers has shown his adaptability to fit seamlessly into Emery’s side, highlighted by his high-level performance against Arsenal on Sunday.
Morgan Rogers showed just how good he is against Arsenal
When watching Rogers’ display against the talent that the Gunners had on show, it’s clear to see why Townley was quick to applaud Monchi for sealing such a strong deal for the 21-year-old.
The signing of the former Middlesbrough whiz wasn’t just a good buy, but the right one at the perfect time, with his quality against Arsenal masking the figures Villa were missing in Jacob Ramsey, Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara.
Morgan Rogers statistics vs Arsenal, via Sofascore
- 90 minutes played
- 75% dribbles completed
- 7 duel wins
- 3 fouls drawn
- 2 clearances
The absent trio are some of Emery’s finest ball carriers in the central channels, with Rogers replenishing that area, as highlighted by his statistics above against the Gunners.
It’s been a magnificent start for the youngster in a Villa shirt, with the early signs indicating that he will have a bright and exciting future at Villa Park.
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