Only scoring once in November so far, and tasting defeat three times on the spin, Aston Villa will return from the international break desperate to turn around their recent poor form.
Unai Emery’s men do have a winnable game with Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace up next in the Premier League to start correcting their stumbling form, before a reunion with Douglas Luiz then takes place in the Champions League versus Juventus at Villa Park.
Regardless of any notable fall-off in performances, Morgan Rogers would have entered into the break ecstatic having been called up to the England senior side, with there now being even more news coming out of the Villans camp that will further heighten his good mood.
Rogers' new contract at Villa
Of course, that news is the fact Rogers has penned a new bumper deal to stay put in the West Midlands until 2030, with the 22-year-old quickly becoming a fan’s favourite for those at Villa Park with his entertaining displays from attacking midfield.
This campaign in total, the former Manchester City youth product turned consistent first-teamer at Villa has amassed three goals and three assists from 15 clashes, as the slick number 27 continues to very much justify the £15m forked out to win his services from Middlesbrough.
That deal to bring him into the building from Michael Carrick’s side only took place this January, with clear fears in the air that Rogers could be poached by another club if a new substantial contract wasn’t ironed out.
Gifted brief cameos in the Nations League for the Three Lions too, with Rogers impressively notching up two key passes from just 24 minutes of action versus Greece, he could be sold on for far more than that £15m one day if he continues his impressive rise.
He isn’t the only one who could win the Villans some possible big bucks further down the line, with this attack-minded full-back having the potential to be a superstar at Villa Park.
Ian Maatsen's potential at Villa
Ian Maatsen hasn’t blown away anyone yet since making the move to the West Midlands this summer, which could be a concern considering he cost a hefty £37.5m to get in through the door.
However, patience will be key here, as the expansive ace regularly stunned supporters of Burnley and Borussia Dortmund when he was on loan at both clubs with his aggressive, front-foot approach for a defender.
In total for both the Clarets and the Bundesliga giants, the Dutchman would accumulate seven goals and eight assists from 65 total contests, which are stunning numbers for a left-back to have next to their name.
As a result, Maatsen has even been labelled as “special” by football journalist Tom Overend, with Chelsea no doubt sad to see the promising 22-year-old depart this summer, knowing there’s plenty more in his tank as he develops and grows.
He’s even been compared to Man City star Josko Gvardiol in the way he operates as a gung-ho full-back when looking at their respective statistics, as per FBref.
Amazingly, the Croat already has eight strikes and three assists next to his name playing for Pep Guardiola’s titans, with Maatsen perhaps having the potential to explode into life for Villa in a similar manner.
Stat – per 90 mins
Maatsen
Gvardiol
Shot-creating actions
2.36
2.33
Passes attempted
65.77
80.47
Pass completion %
85.3%
90.4%
Progressive passes
5.17
7.34
Progressive carries
2.59
2.56
Successful take-ons
0.91
0.96
Touches in attacking penalty area
1.86
2.67
Progressive passes received
3.84
4.05
Stats by FBref
He’s not a million miles off his “incredible” counterpart – as he was once described by Guardiola – in certain areas of their respective attacking games, with Maatsen actually bettering Gvardiol in terms of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes on top of progressive carries.
Indeed, much more should come from the Dutchman in a Villa shirt, even though he is yet to pick up a single goal or assist.
Gvardiol didn’t just fall into Man City’s lap by chance either, costing the reigning top-flight champions £77m, with the hope that one day Maatsen can also be worth that same mega amount as he comes into his own for the Villans.
Watch out Rogers: Aston Villa target £50m "prodigy" who's like Bellingham
One signing could provide Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers with competition
1 ByJoe NuttallNov 19, 2024