Sport Writer Ociarna Davy celebrates the striker’s exploits from the bench
Jhon Durán is the player to pay attention to in the Villa squad, as he excels from the bench and wins games
For Aston Villa, the spotlight is on the bench as Durán continues to shine in the Premier League and in the Champions League (UCL), too. Before kick-off, spirits were particularly high in Villa Park as this marked the club’s first UCL home appearance. The last time Villa played at home in the top-flight European competition was before its rebrand in 1992, having featured in the European Cup twice. The Lions most notably won the cup in 1982 and made it to the quarter-final in the 82/83 season.
Durán was the only player to make the score sheet against German powerhouse Bayern Munich, and the game ended in a 1-0 victory for Villa in the second game-week of the competition. Durán entered the match deep into the second half, and after just nine minutes on the pitch, he swiftly took advantage of Neuer coming far off his line and lobbed the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net. This was the Colombian’s second European goal as he scored his first in the 3-0 win against Hibernian in the Europa Conference League last season.
Last season, there were glimpses of the potential impact Durán would have on Villa
The 20-year-old centre-forward joined Villa from the MLS side Chicago Fire at the beginning of 2023. Last season, there were glimpses of the potential impact Durán would have on Villa. In the last home game of the 23/24 season, Villa went 3-1 down against Liverpool, with the Reds seeming to have the win in the bag. However, Unai Emery subbed Durán in the 79th minute and he scored his first brace for the club, securing an impressive draw for his side. He also received Goal of the Season in the club’s End of Season awards, following his chested half-volley against Crystal Palace.
He has been the vital piece in Villa’s wins so far this season with winning goals against West Ham and Leicester City
Despite this, after only a year and a half at the club, Durán was linked to a summer exit, with interest from various teams and a widely discussed potential transfer to West Ham United. Fortunately for Villa, Durán continued to don the claret and blue and has gone on to impress Villa fans. He has been the vital piece in Villa’s wins so far this season with winning goals against West Ham and Leicester City. His most recent was against The Toffees, which also earned him Premier League Goal of the Month and BBC Goal of the Month for September. And, for the first time, he was Aston Villa’s Player of the Month. With five goals in his pocket from his twenty-three appearances last season, he is set to beat his record – having scored four goals in only seven games as a sub.
So far, Durán has not started for Villa in the Premier League. He also has not played more than 30 minutes in a single PL game so far this season. It has left fans questioning what he could do with more pitch time. With his recent impressive performances, there are ongoing talks on social media and online forums about his place in the squad and if he makes it into the starting line-up over Ollie Watkins. Watkins was one of the PL’s highest goal scorers last season, with nineteen goals under his belt. Durán and Watkins have scored the same number of goals (4) and in the same number of appearances (7) so far this season, despite Durán’s lesser playing time. Even though Durán’s winning goal streak has been exciting to witness, it may be early doors to consider replacing him with the English forward.
Just a week into October, Durán signed a new contract until 2030 with Aston Villa. And with the rest of the season and the Champions League to come, there should be even more opportunity for Durán to hit the back of the net.
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