Unai Emery has confirmed he will change his tactics to allow Jhon Duran to play alongside Ollie Watkins with both strikers fit.
Watkins is Aston Villa’s main man and has started all five Premier League games for the club after scoring 19 league goals last season.
The England international has started the season well and already has three goals in five games, but has been somewhat overshadowed by Duran, who has given Emery a headache.
Emery to change tactics to suit Watkins and Duran
Duran has started the season in excellent form and has four goals in five games and also scored against Wycombe in the Carabao Cup.
The Colombia international reportedly wanted to leave the club this summer and was heavily linked with moves to Chelsea and West Ham, but an exit from Villa Park failed to materialise.
Duran’s stay is a huge boon for Villa given the form they are in, but at some point he will surely think he deserves to start in the Premier League.
Villa fans would probably love to see the pair play together to see how it works and Emery appeared to confirm that he would be prepared to change his tactics so that the duo can play together.
“He’s developing and focusing the way I want him to. He’s playing with his impact really well. Playing like he did on Tuesday in a Carabao Cup in 90 minutes, he played fantastic.” he told reporters.
“My challenge is to try to get the best out of him, playing as a striker, playing with Ollie Watkins. The idea is that they will play more together.
“Now, as we are in the squad with our tactical structure, for players like him I think it is the best we can feel and we will get good performances individually and collectively.”
The idea of ​​a Watkins and Duran front two is something that would strike fear into opposition defenders, but Emery will need to find the right balance to accommodate the pair.
It would certainly offer Villa a different option and it will be interesting to see how they do alongside each other and if a partnership forms.
