2 hours ago
31
Jamie Carragher believes that Morgan Rogers is the likeliest player in the Aston Villa squad to inspire the Midlanders to an unlikely Premier League title this term.
Rogers scored a brace for the second time in five Premier League games on Sunday as Villa came from behind to beat West Ham at the London Stadium.
The in-demand 23-year-old's second goal – which was Villa's winner in the 3-2 success – was particularly special, as he found the net with a brilliant dipping effort from distance.
Carragher was full of praise for the England international as he assessed his performance on Sky Sports. "Morgan Rogers is something special," he said. "He's been one of those players that has sort of come from nowhere.
"They signed him from Middlesbrough for not a huge fee and he's gone on right now to not just being one of the best young players in the Premier League, which is what he was last season, but he's now looking like one of the best players in the Premier League.
"That could be key if Aston Villa do feel that they could go on and contest the league title or go on and win it."
Villa has collected 30 points from the last 33 available in the Premier League – with the three dropped coming when Unai Emery's side was beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at the beginning of November.
Despite the Villans' remarkable form, Carragher does not expect them to win the league – but thinks that if they do, Rogers will be key.
"Can Villa win the title? I don't think they can, but if you are to win a title, and let's say Man City go on to win a title, they have Erling Haaland, who is the best player in the league," Carragher said.
"If I look at Arsenal right now, I think of Declan Rice. If they go on and win the league I see Rice as a player of the year candidate.
"But with Aston Villa, who could drive them to the title? Who is that special that they could be head and shoulders above everyone in the league?
"The one player I look at is Rogers. PFA young player of the year before, could he now go on and be PFA player of the year this season and drag Villa really close to a league title."
English (US) ·