Danny Murphy blown away on MOTD by what Aston Villa did vs Burnley – ‘What is going on?’
Aston Villa kept up their excellent recent form with a routine victory against Burnley on Sunday.
Villa welcomed Burnley and secured a 2-1 win as a Donyell Malen brace made the difference at Villa Park.
The Dutchman combined with Boubacar Kamara and Morgan Rogers, who both grabbed assists for Villa against the Clarets on 5 October.
This was just what Villa needed, just days after the win over Feyenoord, making it four victories from four games.
Danny Murphy was left shocked by what he saw from the Villans as Unai Emery made a tactical decision which unlocked the away side.
Danny Murphy loved how Aston Villa lined up vs Burnley
Lamare Bogarde came into the Villa side to face Burnley, allowing John McGinn to take up a more attacking role in the Midlands.
This saw the skipper and Rogers line up as two number 10s at Villa Park, allowing the Villans to utilise a front two.
Malen started alongside Ollie Watkins as a traditional strike pairing in what turned out to be an effective change by Emery.
The duo caused problems all afternoon for the Burnley backline, with their back three struggling to cope with runs in behind.
This wasn’t lost on Murphy as he shared his delight with this tactical approach via Match of the Day on 5 October.
He said: “What’s going on? We’ve got pairings up front, long throw-ins, and keepers kicking it long. We’re going back in time, it’s amazing. It worked a treat.“
Malen and Watkins were superb vs Burnley
Watkins might not have gotten on the scoresheet, but he certainly posed a threat and looked to be more like himself.
The England international got on the scoresheet against Fulham and was able to showcase that newfound confidence against the Clarets.
He was certainly helped by having someone with the pace and power of Malen alongside him, who was excellent on the day.
| Stat vs Burnley | Ollie Watkins | Donyell Malen |
| Shots | 2 | 3 |
| Expected goals | 0.14 | 0.36 |
| Touches in opposition box | 4 | 5 |
| Duels won | 4 | 4 |
The man signed from Borussia Dortmund proved exactly what Emery and Co. brought him for after a difficult spell to this point.
This duo could prove to be a new weapon that goes on to transform the Villans into what is now a stellar run of form across all competitions.
It will be interesting to see how Emery lines up his side after the international break and whether he sticks by the Dutchman up front.
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