Troy Deeney raves about ‘magnificent’ Aston Villa star vs Burnley after weird developments
Aston Villa are starting to turn their season around after their 2-1 win over Burnley on Sunday.
Unai Emery made Aston Villa history against Burnley, becoming the fastest manager of the Midlands club to win 80 games.
The result leaves Villa 13th in the Premier League, with Emery building some momentum ahead of the October international break.
Following Aston Villa’s 1-1 draw against Sunderland, something had to change, and one star fully grabbed his opportunity against Burnley.
Donyell Malen changes the game for Aston Villa vs Burnley
Villa have now recorded four wins on the spin, including impressive Europa League victories over Bologna and Feyenoord.
Donyell Malen’s double against Burnley marked his first goals for Villa since 12 April, with the Dutch forward being given limited game time this season.
His first goal was excellently taken, sliding a finish past Martin Dubravka, whilst his second goal was a powerful strike that nestled into the far corner.
| Minutes played | 84 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Pass accuracy (percentage) | 73 |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Touches in opposition box | 5 |
Troy Deeney has named his Premier League Team of the Week, and was full of praise for Malen.
He said: “A weird start to his Aston Villa career – he came in from Borussia Dortmund and it looked like he would be helping them in the Champions League, but he didn’t make the squad because of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.
“Then he was a bit-part player, did OK, but didn’t look like he had the confidence. Against Burnley, he got a start and scored twice.
“I think he’s someone who needs to start and build into the game; he’s better starting than coming off the bench. The two finishes were magnificent.”
Malen joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window, yet has only started four Premier League matches for Villa in that time.
Malen has now proven to Emery that he can be effective from the first minute and has given his manager a headache regarding his team selection for Villa’s trip to Spurs on 19 October.
Donyell Malen has always shown his prolific nature throughout his career
Malen has had an unusual career, beginning his journey at Arsenal before moving back to the Netherlands to continue his rise at PSV.
Success in the Eredivisie led him to Borussia Dortmund, where he enjoyed four fruitful years.
Since his move to Aston Villa, he’s had to deal with competition with Asensio, Rashford, and Evann Guessand for a position out wide, yet he seized his opportunity perfectly against Burnley.
- 55 goals in 116 appearances for PSV Eindhoven
- 39 goals in 132 appearances for Borussia Dortmund
- 5 goals in 27 appearances for Aston Villa
With new signing Guessand struggling to adapt, and the England duo of Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho not getting a look-in, this is the ideal time for Malen to stamp his mark on this Villa side.
Malen is now Villa’s top scorer in the Premier League after just one starting appearance, and the pressure is now on his teammates to perform when they’re given the opportunity.
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