Morgan Rogers has exposed Unai Emery’s worst Aston Villa decision
Aston Villa have not only failed to win a Premier League game this season, but they’re also the only team yet to score a single goal.
Under pressure Unai Emery has got off to a miserable start in the new 2025-26 season.
Aston Villa are winless in their first four matches, managing just two draws against Newcastle United and Everton.
And worryingly, one of their most effective players last season has yet to make an impact this term.
Morgan Rogers has struggled to create for Aston Villa so far this season
Since joining from Middlesbrough 18 months ago, Morgan Rogers has been Villa’s standout performer.
His level of output last year not only saw Rogers crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year but has also seen him linked with at least four top clubs.
It’s been a very different story so far this season, though. Rogers, who has been forced to hit back at critics, has failed to produce his best, leaving Villa 19th in the table.
The England international’s ability to affect play in the final third has been a particular area of concern for Emery and his coaching staff.
So far this season, Rogers has failed to find a teammate 35.5 per cent of the time, with almost half of his balls into the box missing their intended target.
It’s no surprise Aston Villa’s No. 27 is yet to register a single assist in the Premier League, forcing those around him to feed off scraps.
Position change likely cause of bad run of form
Last season saw Rogers involved in 30 goals in 56 games, in all competitions, including reaching double figures in the Premier League.
Out of the 37 league games he featured in last season, Emery started him 17 times in the No. 10 role and 11 times on the right-wing.
Rogers only started seven league games on the left-side of midfield and just twice as a striker.
This is in stark contrast to this season where the 23-year-old has failed to start a single game in his preferred position on the right flank.
Against Newcastle and Brentford, the Englishman was positioned on the left only returning to the No. 10 position in his last two games against Crystal Palace and Everton.
Although Villa signed Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund at the start of the year, Emery’s left-sided options have been limited.
Aston Villa signed Jadon Sancho on loan in the summer in the hope of adding more squad depth, especially in wide areas.
Sancho has yet to make a league appearance for the Villains, though, but with Rogers failing to fill the void on the left, Emery may not have a choice but to throw the struggling Manchester United loanee in against Sunderland (21 September).