Not only did Jhon Duran thief Aston Villa return a immense measurement towards reaching nan Champions League knockouts, nan striker besides sent a clear connection to head Unai Emery to reward him pinch a starting place.
Duran's curling 25-yard onslaught successful Villa's 3-2 conclusion of RB Leipzig connected Tuesday was his 10th extremity of nan season, yet he has only made 4 starts successful each competitions.
The Colombia international, 20, presented himself arsenic a super-sub fig earlier this season, scoring from nan chair successful 4 of Villa's 5 opening Premier League games.
The six goals he has scored arsenic a substitute are much than immoderate different subordinate crossed Europe's large 5 leagues successful each competitions this season.
After failing to people successful November, Duran has scored successful back-to-back games and calls from fans for him to commencement much often are getting louder.
That is successful portion to nan shape of Ollie Watkins; nan England striker played good successful Leipzig, but he has scored conscionable erstwhile from unfastened play successful his past 11 games.
This play Watkins has scored 7 goals successful each competitions, 3 less than Duran contempt playing almost double nan minutes.
Emery confirmed that Duran replaced Watkins astatine half-time connected Tuesday owed to nan Englishman picking up a "small injury", truthful Duran could get nan motion against Nottingham Forest connected Saturday.
The mobility is, should Duran - Villa's apical scorer successful nan Champions League - support nan starting domiciled erstwhile Watkins is fit?
Since Duran joined Villa successful January 2023, he has started alongside Watkins conscionable twice.
Though Emery suggested connected Monday that he is unfastened to playing some of his strikers together, it's clear his penchant is 1 aliases nan other.
That benignant of business could easy create clash betwixt nan 2 players, but Duran says he is happy to play immoderate domiciled nan squad needs him to.
"We worked difficult arsenic a team, and that is my occupation to score. The main point was nan triumph and nan 3 points distant from home," Duran told Amazon Prime aft nan match.
"I'm conscionable happy to beryllium present and I really emotion nan title pinch Ollie Watkins. When it's my move I'll measurement up and hopefully I tin people and thief nan team.
"We're truthful happy to beryllium wherever we are successful nan standings correct now, but we've comberan to triumph nan crippled astatine location [against Celtic] and we're almost done truthful we are delighted astir that."
Duran turns 21 connected Friday, and he knows precisely really he wants to celebrate.
"I americium decidedly not going retired to observe my day because my purpose is to people connected Saturday to celebrate," he added.
In his post-match interview, Emery gave a mini penetration into why he keeps starting Watkins complete Duran.
"Sometimes he [Duran] is very impassioned and we person to effort and support balanced pinch him," Emery told Amazon Prime.
"He scored a awesome extremity and he works, we are trying to get nan squad beardown pinch a tactical approach. His imaginable is massive. Tactically he is improving and coming he played a awesome 45 minutes."
It's not conscionable Villa fans who are divided complete which striker Emery should commencement going forward.
"I cognize he is only young but you person each correct to spell and inquire nan head why you are not starting if you are doing what he wants," Alan Shearer said of Duran connected Amazon Prime.
"Forget your age. If you are doing your spot and doing what nan head wants, you person to beryllium successful nan team. His connection will be: Don't time off maine retired again."
Speaking connected BBC Radio 5 Live, erstwhile Villa winger Marc Albrighton made nan lawsuit for Watkins.
"I thought Duran really led nan statement well. On erstwhile occasions, evidently he gets his goals, but I deliberation Watkins offers much arsenic an all-round striker," Albrighton said.
"I deliberation that's astir apt why Emery favours him to commencement games, but I thought coming erstwhile Duran came on, he put himself astir more, he comberan much progressive successful nan link-up play and past tops it disconnected pinch his extremity arsenic well."
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