Aston Villa fans are in dreamland at the moment as they get to watch their side battle near the top end of the Premier League and compete in the Champions League.
It makes a huge difference from the days under Steven Gerrard when they were scrapping at the bottom of the Premier League.
Unai Emery has transformed Aston Villa into a force and the fans are blessed to watch so many talented players every week.
From the clinical finishing of Ollie Watkins to the exceptional ball-playing abilities of Youri Tielemans, Villa have become a joy to watch under Emery, with one player also emerging as a key figure this season.
Aston Villa star Jhon Duran can play for any team in the Premier League
Last season, Jhon Duran was forced to watch on from the bench most weeks as Watkins fired Villa into the top four.
The 20-year-old only started three times in the Premier League but made the most of his minutes, scoring once every 101 minutes.
Duran has continued to fixture from the bench this term but the 2003-born striker has transformed into arguably the greatest super sub in Europe.
With four goals from the bench in the top flight, including in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Wolves, the Colombian has proven to be a game-changer for Emery.
The youngster has helped salvage several results in the second half of games, most notably his thunderbolt in the 3-2 win over Everton.
And now Emery is considering starting Duran against Ipswich, with former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood saying that the ‘clinical’ striker would get into most sides in the Premier League, telling of his quality.
“If he keeps coming on and keeps scoring,” Sherwood said on Sky Sports News (28/09/2024 1:05 pm).
“I think he should be knocking the door down and saying, look, give me a start, I need a start, even if I play with Watkins, he needs to tell him.
“The boy can do no more. The chances that he is getting, he is clinical with his finishing. The boy is top-drawer, could play for most of the Premier League sides and start every single week.”
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Should Jhon Duran start vs Ipswich?
Emery has hinted at the possibility of Duran starting alongside Watkins against Ipswich, and that is a mouth-watering prospect.
The striking duo played together against Wolves, as Duran came off the bench, and that was the catalyst for them to come back from behind.
There’s no doubt that any other team in the Premier League would be starting the 20-year-old after the impact he’s made this term.
However, that decision is made harder given Watkins is one of Europe’s best strikers and starting Duran means sacrificing Morgan Rogers OR Jacob Ramsey, with the latter more likely.
Duran, especially after scoring past Wycombe in the Carabao Cup, perhaps deserves to start against Ipswich, with Rogers dropping out.
