I’m convinced Unai Emery has new tactical option Aston Villa can really use
The feel-good factor is back at Villa Park, but it may not last too long.
When Unai Emery was at risk of losing his Aston Villa job, it looked like there was no way back.
Emery has been criticised for his tactical approach, when starting with players like John McGinn on the flanks.
Despite Villa getting back to winning ways, it feels like they may just be riding a wave at the minute.
If things start going bad once again, I believe Emery has another option he can use to get himself out of deep water.
Donyell Malen can start up front for Unai Emery and Aston Villa
Donyell Malen is back scoring for Villa, and so too is the all-important Ollie Watkins.
Malen has been largely deployed as a right-winger under Emery, but his performance against Burnley in Villa’s previous Premier League game showed that he needs to be in the box more.
- Malen scored two goals against Burnley
- Both his goals came inside the box when the forward drifted inwards
- Malen’s goals totalled 0.27 xG
According to Sofascore, Emery adopted his usual 4-2-3-1 formation against Burnley as Malen was played right-wing.
I believe that if Emery were to play Malen centrally, he would get more out of the versatile forward, as his peformances show he is a natural goalscorer.
But with Watkins, what changes would Emery need to make to play both up front?
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Emery should play 4-4-1-1 to suit Malen and Ollie Watkins
Malen hasn’t hit the heights he’d have liked so far at Villa, so maybe his performance against Burnley showcased the need to now play him more centrally.
Emery has previously played a 4-4-1-1 in the past with Morgan Rogers behind the striker, but now the latter has been pushed over to the left of the attack in recent games.
Emery could now keep Rogers on the left, play Emi Buendia on the right, and have Watkins and Malen centrally, interchanging from a 4-4-1-1 to a 4-4-2.
Time will tell if Emery’s hot streak for Aston Villa is legitimate or if it’s just a purple patch, but I truly believe he needs to try this formation to get the best out of Villa’s forwards this season.
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