Rogers Shines as Villa Secures Victory; Foden and Palmer Impress in Premier League
On a weekend when Phil Foden and Cole Palmer played pivotal roles in securing vital Premier League victories for Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively, Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers demonstrated why he remains a key figure in Thomas Tuchel's England setup.
Aston Villa's impressive eight-match winning streak in all competitions faced a significant challenge at West Ham, where they trailed 2-1 at halftime against a side struggling at the bottom of the league. The Villa players appeared fatigued and lacking inspiration following their Europa League victory over Basel on Thursday.
However, Rogers took control in the second half. Just five minutes after the break, the 23-year-old leveled the score at 2-2 with a close-range effort after West Ham failed to clear a low cross from Youri Tielemans.
As the match neared its conclusion, Rogers seized a loose ball from 30 yards out and unleashed a powerful, swerving strike into the top right corner of Alphonse Areola's goal, securing a ninth consecutive win for Unai Emery's team, currently sitting in third place.
This stunning goal capped an exceptional performance from Rogers, reinforcing his position as England's first-choice number 10 for the upcoming World Cup, despite fierce competition from Foden, Palmer, and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.
"He scored two fantastic goals and, for me, he is not just going to be in the squad next summer; he is a dead cert to be a starter for England at the World Cup—100%,” said former England forward and Match of the Day pundit Theo Walcott. "He contributes in all aspects, and while there are other contenders for the number 10 position, Rogers must start."
Walcott emphasized that Rogers was not merely a goal threat in the 3-2 victory, as he was involved in five of Villa's seven attempts on goal. He also recorded more touches inside the West Ham box than any of his teammates and completed over 90% of his 22 passes in the final third, the highest ratio among Villa players.
“He is such an intelligent player,” Walcott added. “He recognizes weaknesses in the opposing team's structure.” Reflecting on Rogers' remarkable second goal, he noted, “You think of Cristiano Ronaldo and how he manipulates the ball when given time and space. Rogers can do that too.”
Unsurprisingly, Rogers expressed confidence after the game, stating, “I’m scoring quite a few lately. If I score and we win, then I’m happy. I want to score as much as possible and help the team. We’re on a great run, so let’s see where that takes us.”
Foden, meanwhile, has shared his struggles from the previous season, including injuries that hindered his performance. The 25-year-old is now finding his rhythm, having netted his 10th goal of the season in a hard-fought victory for Manchester City against Crystal Palace.
Six of Foden's goals have come in the last five matches, showcasing his resurgence as City aims to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal. His latest goal—a low shot into the bottom corner following excellent work from teammate Rayan Cherki—caught the attention of Tuchel, who was in attendance at Selhurst Park.
Despite scoring, Foden lost possession 16 times against Palace, a statistic noted by manager Pep Guardiola, who remarked that Foden "didn’t have a good game" and was often in a rush. “He needs to stay calm and change gears at the right moment,” Guardiola advised. “He is young and listens; he has been having an incredibly good season.”
Foden acknowledged his need for improvement, stating, “In the first half, I gave away too many balls and was trying to do too much. Against Palace, you need to relax and play extra passes. That is the standard I set for myself, and so does the manager. He knows there is more to come from me.”
His ability to score from long range has been evident this season, with eight league goals coming from outside the box, second only to Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid in Europe's top leagues. Foden has also scored in four consecutive Premier League matches for the second time in his career.
“He is in outstanding form,” said ex-England goalkeeper and Match of the Day pundit Joe Hart. “You can tell he’s in unreal flow right now. City have been clever in getting Foden into the right positions.”
In another notable performance, Cole Palmer ended an 87-day goal drought by scoring Chelsea’s opener in a 2-0 victory over Everton, also under the watchful eye of Tuchel.
Despite managing a groin injury and recovering from a broken toe, Palmer's calm finish from Male Gusto's pass indicated he has not lost his scoring touch, which saw him net 15 goals in 37 league appearances last season.
“What I find incredible is people saying Cole Palmer will be a problem when he comes back from injury,” said Stephen Warnock on Final Score. “He’s been unbelievable. I consider him one of the best players in the world.”
Tuchel is also counting on Bellingham, who has scored one goal and assisted another against Barcelona in October. However, like his team, Bellingham has struggled for consistency recently, contributing four goals and three assists this season after a standout season with 30 goal involvements last term.
Bellingham's frustration was evident when he reacted unhappily to being substituted during England's World Cup qualifiers, highlighting the pressure on him to perform.