Aston Villa tipped for previously unthinkable drop, as firebrand may get nod over Watkins
Unai Emery has been tipped to sit Ollie Watkins out for Jhon Duran at times due to the pair’s form, and Don Hutchison feels Aston Villa fans will have “no problem” with that decision.
Duran is currently Villa’s top scorer this season. The Colombian forward has netted three goals, and they have come in just 42 minutes of football, all crucial, given they came in games Villa won by one goal.
In comparison, Watkins has scored twice, both in the latest game – a 3-2 win over Everton – having failed to score in any of the first three games of the season.
Hutchison has been very impressed with Duran, and feels Emery could well decide to start him over Watkins at times, and that will be a decision supported by the fans.
“I like him. West Ham tried to sign him. They just couldn’t get the deal over the line. I think you look at his build, and you look at the way he holds the ball up, and you see the spectacular goals, and his sort of athleticism,” Hutchison said on ESPN.
“You look at him, you’re thinking with a bit more maturity and a little bit of confidence, you can see the couple of attempts that he’s had – the worldie strike from distance, then he sort of flicked one up with his chest and went for a bicycle kick – you can see that the talent is there.
“So, yeah, I think at any given time, because Ollie Watkins didn’t start the first couple of games particularly on fire, didn’t look sharp, and Jhon Duran actually did and scored a goal or two.
“I think at any given time, if Unai Emery’s thinking, well, ‘Ollie Watkins is a bit off form or has an injury’, I think you’ll have no problem as a Villa fan watching him play, because he looks super talented. I like him a lot.”
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Playing Duran over Watkins would have previously been unthinkable, for a few reasons. Last season, the Englishman was in red-hot form, bagging 27 goals and 13 assists in all competitions. He started all but one Premier League game, and with good reason.
Duran, on the other hand, scored five league goals in 23 appearances, and two goals in 10 European matches. But in the summer, he felt he was deserving of a move away, and agitated for it.
He is clearly doing a good job at getting back on everyone’s good side at Villa, though, and while every appearance this season has been from the bench, if he keeps outscoring Watkins, that may not be the case for long.
READ MORE: Everton motto change due after latest collapse comes under weight of Jhon Duran’s brilliance
