Rogers Shines as Villa Eyes Title Challenge

Rogers played a pivotal role in Aston Villa’s victory over Manchester United, netting two goals that secured the win for the Villans. This impressive performance adds to his tally, bringing the England international’s total to seven league goals this season, including four scored in his last two matches against West Ham and United.

The 23-year-old, who recently signed a new contract at Villa Park, aims to sustain his exceptional form as Villa seeks to apply pressure on league leaders Arsenal and widen their gap over fourth-placed Chelsea. Following their recent 2-2 draw with Newcastle, Chelsea finds themselves seven points behind Villa, who triumphed at home against United in the final game week before Christmas.

In contrast, Palmer has managed only two goals in England’s top tier this season, hampered by a groin injury sustained in September during a match against United. This setback has limited the 23-year-old to just five league starts this year. Nevertheless, Maresca, Chelsea’s coach, expressed his unwavering support for Palmer, emphasizing that he would not trade him for Rogers, especially with the upcoming Boxing Day match between Chelsea and Villa expected to highlight both former Manchester City youngsters.

When asked by Sky Sports whether he would prefer to have an in-form Rogers over Palmer, Maresca responded candidly, stating, “No. Because I love Cole, and Cole is my player.” However, he acknowledged the importance of both players in the upcoming match, indicating that the game would not solely hinge on their performances: “They are two fantastic players. For sure, they are going to be important during the game. But I think both players need the other ten around them to support them and to help them do the right things. It’s about the teams as much as it is about Morgan and Cole.”

Addressing Palmer’s readiness to play the full 90 minutes, Maresca noted, “The progression for a player is 45 (minutes), 60, 70. The progression is there.”

In a separate discussion during his press conference, Maresca was questioned about Antoine Semenyo, who has been linked with a January transfer to Chelsea. He downplayed speculation regarding player movements, stating, “I’m focused on Aston Villa. I’m not focused on players that can arrive or leave. The only focus for me is the Villa game, which will undoubtedly be a tough contest because they are performing excellently, and we need to remain concentrated on that.”

Semenyo is reportedly in demand, with a potential transfer to Manchester City considered a likely outcome, despite interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham.

Additionally, Maresca will face a one-match touchline ban due to accumulated yellow cards from Chelsea’s recent draw at Newcastle. While this is not the first instance of him being sidelined, he remains confident that it will not affect his team’s performance: “No, no, no. I’ve been suspended three times in almost 100 games—once for a celebration and twice for yellow cards. Willy (Caballero) will be there on the touchline, Danny (Walker) will be there, and the coaching staff will be present.”