Donyell Malen primed for start vs Leeds United after what’s happened away from Aston Villa
Donyell Malen produced a scintillating performance to secure the Netherlands’ World Cup qualification in a 4-0 win over Lithuania on Monday.
Malen scored a brilliant goal in the 62nd minute, breaking past the opposition defence before clinically finishing past the goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas to score the fourth on a joyous evening.
However, the 26-year-old has been benched for the last three Aston Villa matches, and he is yet to get a consistent run of starts in B6.
Aston Villa travel to Elland Road to face Leeds on Sunday, and Malen’s latest performance for his country surely means that he must have a good chance of being named in Unai Emery’s starting lineup.
Donyell Malen excels in Netherlands win vs Lithuania
Malen joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window, yet has only started five Premier League matches for Villa in that time.
Donyell Malen’s brace against Burnley on 5 October marked his first goals for Villa since 12 April, with the Dutch forward being given limited game time this season.
Against Lithuania on Monday, Malen registered a shot accuracy of 100 per cent, while completing 86 per cent of his dribbles.
| Stat | Malen |
| Touches | 39 |
| Pass accuracy | 14/20 (70%) |
| Successful dribbles | 6/7 (86%) |
| Shot accuracy | 2/2 (100%) |
Malen also won 78 per cent of his ground duels, showcasing his tenacity off the ball, something Emery has placed huge value in during his time at Villa.
Whilst it can be argued that Emery shouldn’t change his lineup from the brilliant win over Bournemouth before the international break, Malen could offer a different threat in attack.
Having scored three Premier League goals from an xG of 1.42 in 2025-26, his clinical nature is definitely something that could be beneficial against Daniel Farke’s side.
The Dutch forward should be considered to play up front with Ollie Watkins is clearly out of form, and Malen’s speed in attack could be for huge problem to Leeds’ defence.
Malen is Villa’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season, despite only making three starts and eight substitute appearances.
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Donyell Malen is suffering from Emi Buendia’s form
Buendia’s revival under Emery has been fantastic to watch, but it has ultimately left Malen with another winger in front of him in the pecking order.
Despite the 26-year-old’s versatility in attack, it seems as though he has never gotten the lucky break he needs to prove himself.
Since his move to Aston Villa, he’s had to deal with competition with Marco Asensio, Marcus Rashford, Evann Guessand, and now Emi Buendia.
After another promising display for his country, there is perhaps no Villa forward who is more confident than Malen at the moment, and he could play a huge part in the Leeds clash.
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