Aston Villa’s resurgence was propelled by Donyell Malen’s brace as they secured a 2-1 victory over Burnley, marking their fourth consecutive win.
After a challenging start to the season with no victories in their first six matches, doubts surrounded Unai Emery’s leadership. However, Villa has since turned their fortunes around impressively.
Following back-to-back Europa League triumphs against Bologna and Feyenoord, and a Premier League win over Fulham, Villa continued their momentum with another crucial three points at Villa Park.
Malen, the Dutch international, emerged as the standout player by scoring in both halves, celebrating Emery’s 150th game in charge with a well-earned victory.
Burnley managed to pull one back through Lesley Ugochukwu but suffered their fifth defeat in seven games amid a grueling schedule that included clashes with Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and now Villa.
The home side quickly asserted their attacking intent. Morgan Rogers’ shot, deflected off a defender, narrowly missed the target, while Ezri Konsa’s powerful header from the ensuing corner was expertly saved by Burnley’s goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka.
The deadlock was broken in the 25th minute thanks to a masterful assist from Boubacar Kamara. Villa skillfully maneuvered the ball in tight quarters within their own half before Kamara delivered a perfectly weighted through ball to Malen, who outpaced defender Maxime Estève and calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.
Villa maintained control, but their lead was tested when goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made a crucial save ten minutes later, diving to push Josh Cullen’s shot around the post and preserve the advantage for the hosts.
