Jhon Duran, the showman. Ollie Watkins, the trusted system player. Both provide so much for Aston Villa but this season Watkins has looked a shell of his former self in front of goal.
Duran on the other hand has been forced to wait on the sidelines for his opportunities and has taken every chance when presented with one.
Unai Emery can’t keep Duran on the bench for much longer, he keeps popping up in big moments. In last night’s 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, Duran set the European stage alight just seven minutes after being subbed on.
Watkins was axed at half time by Unai Emery after a fairly quiet first half by his high standards. He provided an assist for John McGinn’s opener in the third minute and had a goal of his own ruled out moments before the break.
Otherwise, it was a tame performance from the man who fired Aston Villa into the Champions League last season.
In 2023/24, as the undisputed first choice striker, Watkins was undoubtly the best finisher in the league behind Erling Haaland. He scored 19 goals last season in the Premier League and although his record of seven in fifteen this season appears respectable, Watkins has been nowhere near as ruthless.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith Duran chasing his tail every week, Watkins is struggling to handle the pressure. According to The Athletic, the England forward has underperformed his expected goals (xG) tally by 3.61 this season.
Duran on the other hand, has overperformed his expected goals tally, scoring nine from an xG of 6.76 across all competitions, according to The Athletic.
Duran’s impact as a substitute is the best in world football at the moment. This season, he has scored six goals off the bench, more than double any other Premier League player.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnai Emery is using Duran far more than last season, but it’s the starts that the Colombian is after. According to FotMob, he has featured in the starting line-up just 10 times for Villa despite making over 70 appearances.
Last season, Duran was typically introduced in the 77th minute. However this season, to keep him happy, Emery has introduced him 10 minutes earlier on average.
Emery said in a press conference that he “will try to play both” Duran and Watkins, however it’s a partnership that hasn’t worked on the few occasions it has been tested.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn paper, their profiles compliment each other perfectly. Watkins is a hard working forward who tires defenders and creates space for teammates with intelligent movement and Duran likes to get into those areas and often takes every chance he gets infront of goal.
However, it hasn’t proved to work so far, as starting the duo has comprimised Villa’s overall structure. Although the Villa boss still hasn’t ruled out a strike partnership between the pair, it is likely one top striker will continue to miss out each week.
As Aston Villa head into a tough winter period, with games against Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle, Emery’s choices in attack will be under the microscope.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Newnham
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