Aston Villa picked up a much-needed point against Liverpool on Monday night, a fixture that saw Unai Emery complete another masterclass.
Aston Villa left it late to secure a point against Liverpool in the final Premier League game of 2023/24 at Villa Park, drawing 3-3 with the Reds.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were still 3-1 up in the 85th minute of play, before Jhon Duran acted as the hero for the hosts, scoring two goals late on to level the scoring and hand his side a point to assist their hopes of securing fourth place.
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Unai Emery reaped the rewards of his substitution, as Duran’s 11-minute cameo proved to be pivotal to the end result, taking Villa closer to their end goal of qualifying for the Champions League.
Not only will the Spaniard be joyous with his striker’s display against Liverpool, but should hand himself some credit for his management of the player this campaign.
Unai Emery was right to keep Jhon Duran at Aston Villa in January
It’s been a trialling season for Duran, who has seen his game time limited based on his placement in the pecking order at Villa.
Standing behind Ollie Watkins in Villa’s squad is a difficult scenario for any player to be in, let alone a 20-year-old who arrived in the Premier League in 2023.
That being said, Emery values Duran and what he can offer to his squad, as seen by his no-nonsense approach as the Colombian received offers in January.
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As reported by The Athletic, West Ham United approached Villa in the bid to sign the £18m forward on loan, with the Villa boss not willing to part ways with his firm number two to the striker role.
It turned out to be a stroke of genius by Emery, who is reaping the benefits of having Duran on his side, as seen against Liverpool.
Jhon Duran is the perfect player for Aston Villa
While it’s not a favourable situation for Duran to be in as second-best behind a marksman as reliable as Watkins, it’s the dream scenario for Villa to have a forward as dynamic as the Colombian to call on when needed.
Lauded as ‘special’ by Emery after his cameo against the Reds, the 20-year-old showed just how clinical he can be in front of goal, and how important he could be to Villa in the coming years.
Duran’s brace against Klopp’s side lowered his scoring frequency to just 83 minutes, emphasising how he can act as the perfect option for depth in Villa’s front line.
The Villa manager was proven just how right he was to keep the budding talent in his ranks by denying West Ham in January, with his decision being rewarded by the 20-year-old’s impact in the penultimate fixture of the Premier League season.
