Sports
Carragher Claims Rogers Can Lead Aston Villa To Shock League Title
Jamie Carragher thinks Aston Villa‘s title hopes rest on one player following their 3-2 comeback win over West Ham United which means they remain just three points behind leaders Arsenal.
Unai Emery downplayed Villa’s chances of competing for the title last week despite watching his side beat the Gunners 2-1 at Villa Park. The Spaniard praised the performance, which ended the North London giants’ 18-game unbeaten run.
West Ham threatened to derail the Villa train when they took the lead twice at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon. But Morgan Rogers came to the fore as he has done since overcoming a slow start to the season, and it’s the English attacker whom Carragher feels will be vital if Emery’s team are to pull off a stunning title win.
Carragher: ‘Special’ Rogers Could Win Villa The Title
Manchester City have Erling Haaland, Arsenal have Declan Rice and Aston Villa have Morgan Rogers, according to Carragher, who made clear that any chance of the title heading to Villa Park depends on the English attacking ace. He was at the double yesterday, coming up with two excellent goals to bring his tally for the season to five goals and as many assists in 23 games across competitions.
Carragher gave a glowing verdict of the 23-year-old while speaking on Sky Sports:
“Morgan Rogers is something special. He just seemed to be one of those players who come from sort of nowhere. They signed him from Middlesbrough for not a huge fee, and he’s gone on to not just be one of the best young players in the Premier League, which he was last season; he’s now looking like one of the best players in the Premier League.”
Rogers won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in August after a stunning 2024-25 campaign, which saw him flourish both domestically and in Europe. He registered 14 goals and 16 assists in 54 games in all competition,s and that included four goals and three assists in 12 of Villa’s Champions League campaign.
It’s been a rapid turnaround for the Halesowen-born attacking midfielder after his frustrating form at the start of the season stirred up speculation over his future. Darren Bent even suggested he had wanted to make a move in the summer and, as a result, was downing tools.
But that’s evidently not been the case as he’s been back to his best and Carragher reckons he could be the difference maker if Villa are to put up a title challenge:
“And that could be key if Aston Villa do feel that they could go on and contest the league title or actually go on and win it.”
Rogers joined Villa from Middlesbrough in early 2024 for just £8 million, a bargain given his exploits with the West Midlands outfit. He’s not only playing a crucial role in Emery’s side but also winning Thomas Tuchel over ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Rogers vs Bellingham For England’s Number 10 Role
It seems a given that Rogers will be on the plane to North America with the England squad come next summer amid stellar showings for club and country. He made his international debut under caretaker manager Lee Carsley in a 3-0 win against Greece in November 2024.
Tuchel has ensured the City academy graduate remains a mainstay in his Three Lions senior team, and that has even meant keeping Jude Bellingham out of the team. His first goal for his country came in a 3-0 friendly win against Wales in October, and it feels as though the German coach is a real fan of his.
Carragher opined that Bellingham is currently the favourite to start as England’s number 10 at the World Cup. But the Liverpool legend suggested that if Rogers keeps up such performances as the one against West Ham, he could well displace the Real Madrid star:
“He’s competing with arguably our best player right now, Jude Bellingham. Jude Bellingham played the last game, and I think in most people’s eyes, and certainly mine, that once we get to the World Cup, Jude Bellingham will be playing in that position.”
He added:
“But the more I watch him play, I actually think Thomas Tuchel thinks like this. This is not an easy decision that Bellingham comes back in, this is a real fight for Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers to see who is going to play in that number 10 position behind Harry Kane at the World Cup. And if he keeps playing like that, it’s certainly not a given.”
Bellingham was one of England’s talismen at Euro 2024 and has made the number 10 position his own in recent years. The 22-year-old starred for Madrid in his debut campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, but a back injury has been problematic over the past year.
The race is on between the pair to try and claim the starting role behind Kane once the World Cup arrives. Tuchel could look to trial both players in friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March.
