Aston Villa’s start to the 2025/26 Premier League season has been far from encouraging, with Unai Emery’s side still searching for their first league win after five matches.
Despite progress in Europe, domestic form has left fans frustrated, and former England striker Darren Bent has now publicly questioned the commitment of one of Villa’s most talented young players.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent singled out Morgan Rogers, claiming the 23-year-old winger looks like a shadow of the player who shone so brightly last season.
Rogers was instrumental in Villa’s 2024/25 campaign, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists as the club reached the Champions League quarter-finals. His rise even attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea over the summer, with speculation mounting that a move could have materialised.
Morgan Rogers is struggling to perform at Aston Villa
However, Villa shut the door on any departure and insisted the player was part of Emery’s long-term project.
Yet since the new season kicked off, Rogers has struggled badly for form. In seven appearances across all competitions, he has failed to register a single goal or assist.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent said:
“Watkins has got no confidence, and you can see that. But Morgan Rogers looks like he is not interested, and I think once – fans are quite quick, when they see a player not quite running or doing what they were doing last season, they go ‘hold on, what’s going on here?’
“Well, he was linked to some big clubs, and maybe he was thinking ‘oh I wouldn’t mind one of them’ and it hasn’t happened. And that’s why maybe he’s a little bit throwing his toys out the pram a little bit. Because he was good for England.
“So he’s the one I look at and go ‘come on’ because I think he’s a fantastic young player.”
Unai Emery must be concerned about Rogers & Watkins
Villa’s struggles are not solely down to Rogers, with Ollie Watkins also enduring a difficult spell in front of goal. However, as one of Villa’s brightest prospects and last season’s PFA Young Player of the Year, Rogers’ lack of spark is proving especially damaging to Emery’s system.
Emery faces a crucial decision in the coming weeks, whether to persist with a struggling talent in the hope he rediscovers his spark, or to shake things up and turn to alternatives.
Rogers remains an exceptional prospect, but unless his mentality and performances improve quickly, Villa’s hopes of climbing out of the relegation zone could be in serious jeopardy.
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