Aston Villa will be hoping to build on their momentous win over Bayern Munich as they take on a Manchester United team short on confidence in the Premier League tomorrow.
Given the differing moods between the two teams, Unai Emery has the perfect chance to inflict even more damage on Erik ten Hag just prior to yet another international break.
Given the exertions in midweek, could Emery make some changes to his starting XI for the clash against the Old Trafford side? The Herculean performance certainly took it out on most of the players, and this could see Jhon Duran come into the starting XI.
Jhon Duran was the hero against Bayern Munich
The Colombian had scored four goals in the Premier League before the clash against the German giants, with all of them coming from the bench.
Ollie Watkins was the man tasked with leading the charge against Vincent Kompany’s men. The tie was finely poised when he was subbed off for Duran with 20 minutes to go. It didn’t take long for the youngster to make an impact, running onto a wonderful through-ball by Pau Torres and scoring a stunning goal to give Villa the lead.
It was an advantage that they held on to, repeating their victory over the club they had defeated in the 1982 European Cup final.
Jhon Duran’s statistics for Villa this season
The centre-forward has played a part in every one of the club’s games this season, yet has started just once – in the EFL Cup tie against Wycombe Wanderers.
In the process, he has scored six times, including that winner against Bayern, and Emery keeping him at the club is beginning to look like an impressive feat considering there was plenty of interest shown in him during the summer.
His impact from the bench means Emery has a player who is capable of winning a game on his own with a moment of magic. This is perhaps why he hasn’t started as many games as he would like, as Watkins doesn’t quite offer that spark when coming on for the final 20 minutes of a game.
If the Colombian keeps this sort of form up, the rumours will continue in January surrounding his future, no doubt about that. Could he go searching for more regular game time elsewhere, or is he happy with the current situation at Villa?
Things could have been different back in January 2023, as Emery wanted a Premier League gem who had just started making waves for his current club, yet he signed Duran instead.
Aston Villa wanted to sign Anthony Gordon in 2023
The Spaniard had taken over just a few months prior, but he had clearly established which areas of the team needed improving during the January transfer window.
Alex Moreno was signed from Real Betis to give some cover at left-back, while Duran arrived from Chicago Fire in a deal worth around £18m, and he was certainly one for the future.
The former Arsenal manager had also earmarked Gordon as a transfer target during that window, as the Englishman had shown plenty of promise during his spell with the Toffees.
According to Birmingham Mail, Villa were keen on bringing the Everton starlet to the Midlands in a bid to bolster their attacking department.
Now, the winger is reportedly valued at £100m by Newcastle United, but in 2023, he was just beginning to show the type of quality which would see him eventually valued this highly.
Goals
2
Assists
0
Big chances created
1
Key passes per game
2.3
Shots per game
1.2
Total duels won per game
5.8
via Sofascore
In the end, the Magpies convinced Gordon that the north-east was the best place to develop, which meant Villa had to settle for Duran during that transfer window.
Although the South American has impressed this term, might Gordon have been a better signing? He would have commanded a place in the starting XI, after all.
Anthony Gordon’s Newcastle statistics
The winger has gone from strength to strength since making the move to St James Park nearly two years ago. Last year, U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed the Englishman was a “consistent menace” and it was hard to disagree given his form.
He may have scored just once during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign as the Toon secured fourth spot in the league, but he sprung into life last season.
Across 48 matches in all competitions, the 23-year-old scored 12 goals while registering 11 assists for the club, showcasing the qualities which would eventually lead to Gareth Southgate calling him up to the England squad for Euro 2024.
It wasn’t just his threat in front of goal that was impressive, as the winger managed to create 16 big chances in the Premier League, while he averaged 1.6 key passes and 1.5 successful dribbles per game.
Among his peers in the top flight, Gordon also ranked in the top 3% for goal-creating actions per 90 (0.90) and in the top 19% for crosses delivered into the opposition penalty area, demonstrating how effective he was at creating chances for his teammates.
Adding a player of this quality to the Villa side would have certainly bolstered Emery’s starting XI, without a shadow of a doubt.
He had to settle for Duran in that transfer window, however. While the youngster is emerging as a sublime talent due to his impact off the bench, it might not be long before frustration sets in and he seeks a move away.
It is likely that the boat has been missed on potentially signing Gordon in the future, especially as clubs such as Liverpool have taken an interest in recent months.
Emery’s transfer record has been excellent so far during his Villa reign, but is missing out on Gordon one of his biggest mistakes?
Given the situation the club are in, probably not, but the Spaniard would surely love having Gordon as an option in his team.
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