Morgan Rogers enters the final weeks of the Premier League season as England’s frontrunner for the number 10 role at this summer’s World Cup in North America.
The 23-year-old’s recent performances at Aston Villa are raising legitimate questions about whether the relentless demands placed upon him this season are beginning to take their toll.
The workload of Morgan Rogers is extraordinary
Morgan Rogers is the only Aston Villa player to have started every single Premier League fixture this season.
Furthermore, in Europe’s top five leagues since the start of the 2024-25 campaign, only three players (Federico Valverde, Virgil van Dijk, and Aurélien Tchouaméni) have accumulated more minutes than the 23-year-old.
That is extraordinary company, and it speaks to both his durability and the extent to which Emery’s side depend upon him. However, unlike those three elite performers, the Villa midfielder is rarely afforded the luxury of an early substitution.
For however long matches remain competitive, and Villa rarely win comfortably, the England international stays on the pitch.
Consequently, the sight of Emiliano Buendia replacing Rogers for the final quarter of an hour against West Ham on Sunday was, as one observer noted, a refreshing deviation from an exhausting norm.
| Player | League | Minutes 2024-26 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federico Valverde | La Liga | Top 3 Europe | 1st |
| Virgil van Dijk | Premier League | Top 3 Europe | 2nd |
| Aurélien Tchouaméni | La Liga | Top 3 Europe | 3rd |
| Morgan Rogers | Premier League | Top 4 Europe | 4th |
The form dip. Numbers that tell Rogers’ story
Before Sunday’s victory over West Ham, Villa had suffered three consecutive Premier League defeats and throughout that difficult run, the creative spark that defined Rogers outstanding early-season form was conspicuously absent.
Prior to the West Ham fixture, Emery’s attacking options had managed just four goal involvements across 45 combined appearances, a return that is, by any measure, alarming. Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Jadon Sancho, Emiliano Buendia, and Leon Bailey collectively produced that meagre total.
Moreover, the 23-year-old has been carrying visible shoulder strapping in recent weeks described as precautionary, but nevertheless a physical indicator of the toll this gruelling campaign is taking. Additionally, Villa’s tactical reliance upon him has become so pronounced that opponents have adapted accordingly, consistently crowding central areas to nullify his influence before he can receive the ball.
Why opponents have found the answer on Rogers
The tactical explanation for Villa’s attacking struggles is, in truth, relatively straightforward. Emery’s attacking patterns are almost entirely centralised around Rogers and opponents have identified and exploited that dependency with growing sophistication.
Concerted efforts to crowd central areas, deny the 23-year-old the quick passes into his feet that make him so dangerous, and force Villa’s play wide into areas where their lack of effective one-versus-one wide attackers becomes critically exposed, have become the standard opposition blueprint.
Furthermore, the recent ponderous tempo of Villa’s attacking play has compounded the issue. When the ball moves slowly through midfield, the spaces that Rogers needs to operate in, tight pockets between the lines, close before he can exploit them.
The result is an attack that too often fizzles out before reaching its destination, as was the case repeatedly during the defeat at Old Trafford.
The England debate: Can the World Cup tell a different story?
The fundamental question, therefore, is whether Rogers’ current dip reflects circumstance an overworked player in an underperforming team, or something more concerning about his readiness for the international stage.
His England competitors for the number 10 role will have watched Villa’s recent struggles with considerable interest. Nevertheless, the counter-argument remains compelling.
All eight of the 23-year-old’s Premier League goals this season have directly changed the scoreline every single one either putting Villa ahead or drawing them level. That clinical impact in decisive moments is an elite quality that transcends form cycles.
The World Cup, ultimately, will provide its own answer; but Emery’s priority between now and then must be managing his most important player with far greater care than he has done in recent months.
Why the big clubs are circling on the England star
The attraction is understandable. All eight of Morgan Rogers’ Premier League goals this season have either put Villa ahead or drawn them level: a 100% game-changing record that no other player in the division can currently match.
Moreover, at just 23 years old, the England international is approaching his developmental peak with the best years of his career clearly ahead of him. For Chelsea, his profile as a dynamic, technically gifted number ten fits the profile the Stamford Bridge club have consistently sought in recent seasons.
For Manchester United, a creative midfielder with Rogers’ goal-scoring attributes from central areas represents exactly the kind of addition their attack has lacked. Furthermore, for Liverpool (should they seek a long-term plan beyond Mohamed Salah) the 23-year-old’s ability to operate between the lines and deliver decisive moments in tight games makes him an intriguing proposition.
| Potential Suitor | Reported Interest | Tactical Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | Monitoring | Number 10 profile |
| Manchester United | Monitoring | Creative midfielder |
| Liverpool | Monitoring | Salah long-term successor |
| Release Clause | £100m | Accessible for elite clubs |
