Despite recent shaky form, Aston Villa fans will be hoping that 2025 will be another successful year after 2024 Unai Emery‘These people are amazingly winning the Champions League.
Of course, that extra competition on an already busy fixture list could have a negative impact on their form in the Premier League until today, with the fact that the Villans played somewhat weaker at home in a weak ninth place.
However, there is still plenty of football to be played, and Emery is now well aware of that Morgan Rogers he will be key to his side’s rise in the division heading into a frantic January.
Morgan Rogers’ form this season
After a promising first season in maroon and blue, the 22-year-old has picked up three shots of 11 top-flight games, Rogers has really stepped up and reached even greater heights this campaign.
In the Premier League alone, the former Manchester City youngster turned Villa superstar has collected six goals and three assists, with his latest goal coming in just the last game to give the Villans a slim 2-1 lead against Brighton and Hove Albion before the Seagulls hit back late on.
Much more will be expected of Rogers in 2025, who managed to earn himself a new contract at Villa and a call-up to the senior England squad in 2024 after dazzling countless top defenses with his tricks on the ball.
Emery will no doubt want more players of a similar caliber to Rogers to boost his side’s chances of climbing the table, but he may not need to go shopping in January to add that quality, with the homegrown gem making quite an impact in the youth ranks.
Aston Villa teenager surpasses Rogers
Incredibly, teenage ace Bradley Burrowes has surpassed Rogers playing for the U18s and U21s this season, while Villa look to have found another golden wonder child through their academy system.
Obviously, Rogers hasn’t come off the assembly line at Villa since he was signed from Middlesbrough last year, but Burrowes will be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jack Grealish in making a name for himself at his boyhood club as a skilful and explosive attacking midfielder.
|
Burrowes’ numbers this season in all competitions |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Games |
Objectives |
Assists |
|
U18 Premier League |
7 |
6 |
2 |
|
UEFA Youth League |
6 |
2 |
0 |
|
Premier League 2 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
EFL trophy |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
FA Youth Cup |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Source: Transfermarkt |
|||
Overall, Burrowes has been very impressive in net this season playing in a multitude of different competitions, eclipsing Rogers’ total for the season by three, albeit at the youth level.
In the pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the best young players in world football.
What’s more, one of those strikes actually came in Premier League 2 off the back of a 16-year-old who was deemed worthy of an opportunity at that level after tearing the U18 league to shreds.
That late fixture against Southampton in September showcased Burrowes’ raw pace on the break and his ability to confidently slot home chances, prompting U23 football scout Antonio Mango branding the England U17 international “exceptional”.
It seems unlikely that the 16-year-old could be in a senior position any time soon, but it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see him blessed with first-team opportunities, given that Grealish was gifted his Villans senior debut at the tender age of 18.
After all, it would mean Emery and Co didn’t have to spend wild sums of money trying to strengthen attacking positions this January, knowing there is plenty of top talent emerging through the ranks at Villa Park.
