Aston Villa are in a very tricky situation.
Things aren’t looking great and it could become even more ugly ahead of Villa’s clash against Brentford on Wednesday night.
There are two home games in the space of a few days for Unai Emery, starting with free-scoring Brentford, before newly-promoted Southampton visit the Midlands at the weekend.
Aston Villa haven’t won in eight matches in all competitions after their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.
In the Premier League, Aston Villa have slipped down into the bottom half and they will continue to slide if they don’t get their act together as soon as possible.
From 13 league matches, 22 goals have been shipped and four out of the last five matches have resulted in no goals being scored.
This is despite Emery having Ollie Watkins at his disposal, as well as the all-action star, Jhon Duran.
Duran is yet to start a game in the Premier League, but in the last two matches he has started – Champions League and EFL Cup – he has scored.
That puts more pressure on Watkins, who missed two huge chances against Chelsea at 1-0, and is now in that phase where he is lacking confidence.
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The last time Duran did start was in October and Darren Bent feels he is now frustrated and, as a result, he has ‘downed tools’, as he told talkSPORT.
The former England striker was going through Aston Villa’s squad and how it isn’t good enough to compete at the ‘top, top level’.
Jhon Duran of Aston Villa runs off the ball during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa FC at Stamford Bridge on December 01...
Photo by Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
“They haven’t got the depth that we think they have all got, certainly not two players in every position like top, top level,” said Bent.
“Say one to 14 is good. But beyond that, you are starting to go ‘okay, who can really step up’. Their bench at the weekend was Robin Olsen goalkeeper. You have Ross Barkley. He was very good at Luton last season, but different expectations.
“Leon Bailey just hasn’t got going this season. Jhon Duran, for a period, was unstoppable, but he has almost gone ‘you know what, you’re not giving me opportunities now. I have gone. I have downed tools a little bit’. Buendia, will make an impact, but I am not sure he is quite top, top-level. Diego Carlos is decent. Maatsen, Champions League final with Dortmund last season, but is he top, top? Not quite sure.”
Duran’s stats for Aston Villa
Given the volume of games Villa have already played and what’s coming up, then surely this means Duran will get some sort of start this week.
It’s not healthy, from a physical standpoint or mental standpoint, for Watkins to keep his place in the XI, especially given how the team is performing.
If Duran does come in, then he certainly won’t lack confidence because he has scored eight goals in 662 minutes this term, as posted by Transfermarkt.
Competition Apps Goals Assists Minutes
Premier League Premier League 13 4 –
UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League 5 2 –
EFL Cup EFL Cup 2 2 –
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