Michael Owen lauds Jhon Duran in Aston Villa v Southampton clash
Michael Owen was left gushing over Jhon Duran as Aston Villa secured a 1-0 win over Southampton on Saturday.
Unai Emery picked the 20-year-old in place of Ollie Watkins for the game at Villa Park on 7 December and it’s a decision that paid off.
The Colombian found the back of the net with a well-worked finish into the bottom corner to help secure the three points for this side.
Owen told Premier League Productions (7 December, 4:05 pm): “Lovely finish. Absolutely lovely finish. Shows a lot of strength in the way he bursts away from his man. Look at the goalkeeper. He’s almost tackling him.”
Jhon Duran stars for Aston Villa v Brentford
Duran was handed a rare start by Emery and he certainly justified it by opening the scoring at Villa Park.
He earned the moniker of a super sub this season and a large section of the fanbase wanted him to be handed regular starts.
Emery decided to listen to them and he certainly repaid his faith with the goal.
This display also sends a message to Watkins that if he does not perform, he could be dropped for the Colombian.
It also gives Emery the option of playing two strikers up top or moving the English attacker to an inside left role he occupied at Brentford.
He played 57 minutes and was applauded by the Villa Park faithful when he was substituted for Watkins.
In other Aston Villa news, a doctor has issued a return update on Jacob Ramsey after his recent injury.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.