Unai Emery sets Morgan Rogers challenge and says ‘he has things to improve’

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery wants more from Morgan Rogers
09:50, 28 Nov 2025
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers(Image: Getty Images)
Unai Emery has challenged Morgan Rogers to be more ruthless in the final third.
The 23-year-old has recorded the joint-most goal contributions in the Villa squad this season, with three goals and four assists to his name after 18 matches.
Rogers came through a difficult start to the campaign, during which he struggled to hit the levels he reached last term, but Emery played him back into form.
He scored a stunning opening goal against Tottenham in Villa’s 2–1 win in north London last month, having registered an assist in each of the previous two league matches against Fulham and Burnley.
Rogers then bagged a brace in Villa’s most recent league match, a 2–1 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road, which moved Emery’s side into the top four.
The England star also started against BSC Young Boys on Thursday, but after the match Emery spoke about the improvements Rogers still needs to make to his game.
“Always, my objective with the players is to analyse what they are doing well, but be demanding to improve things,” Emery told TNT Sports.
“He has things to improve. More ruthless in the attacking third, choose better the last passes and play in combination in the attacking third. He can get better.”
Last season, Rogers registered 27 goal involvements, scoring 14 times and providing 13 assists.
After he scored both of Villa’s goals at Leeds, Emery predicted that Rogers would once again reach double figures for both goals and assists this season.
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