Unai Emery explains exciting 'potential' after Jhon Duran's latest statement

Aston Villa have two top centre- forwards in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran
-Credit: (Image: Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images / Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)


No Premier League side has two better strikers in their squad than Aston Villa.

After bagging 13 goals in the 24 Premier League games he played under Unai Emery in 2022/23, Watkins then hit a career-best 19 goals in the last campaign while also contributing with 13 assists - the most of any player in the division. Watkins has recorded 41 goal involvements in the 65 league games he has played under Emery, while posting another nine goals and assists in cup competitions.

Of all English players, only Harry Kane has more Premier League goal contributions than Watkins since the former Brentford striker signed for Villa, but there's no debating his game has come another level altogether since Emery's appointment at Villa. He is now regarded as one of the top strikers in the Premier League and across Europe.

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He announced himself on the international stage over the summer by firing England into the Euro 2024 final in July by bagging a late goal against the Netherlands in the semi-final at the Signal Iduna Park. Watkins picked up a small injury at Euro 2024 and has not been playing at 100 per cent at the start of the season, but still managed to score twice on Saturday night to drag Villa back on level terms against Everton before Duran stole the headlines yet again.

In each of Villa's first three league games against West Ham, Arsenal and Leicester City, Duran replaced Watkins from off the bench and bagged the winning goals at the London Stadium and the King Power Stadium. He then played alongside Watkins for 15 minutes at Villa Park when he completed the comeback against Everton by thumping the ball past Jordan Pickford from 30 yards out.

As per Opta Analyst, among players with five or more goals in the Premier League, only Erling Haaland has a better minutes-per-goal rate than Duran. He is the perfect super sub for the chaos he can bring in the final 30 minutes of games, but he wants to be the main man and start with or even ahead of Watkins.

"He has made a good impact in last three games, scoring goals and helping the team," Emery said after Duran's latest winning goal. "For this reason, he played in the starting XI for Colombia.

"His potential is huge and I want to support him, help him and be demanding with him. Then he can possibly get better, more confidence and today Watkins scored two goals - you have to feel comfortable with those strikers. We have to think about how we can play with two strikers - this is the challenge I have."

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