At Aston Villa, Jhon Duran's performance has been nothing short of remarkable. Not only did he assist in a crucial step towards the Champions League knockouts but also sent a clear message to manager Unai Emery. His curling 25-yard strike in the 3-2 defeat of RB Leipzig showcased his goal-scoring prowess. With 10 goals this season, yet only making four starts, Duran has emerged as a super-sub figure, scoring from the bench in four of Villa's first five Premier League games. His six substitute goals are more than any other player across Europe's big five leagues. After a goal drought in November, Duran has now scored in back-to-back games, and fans are calling for him to start more often. This is partly due to the form of Ollie Watkins, who has scored just once in his last 11 games despite playing almost double the minutes. Watkins has seven goals in all competitions this season, three fewer than Duran. Emery confirmed that Duran replaced Watkins at half-time due to a small injury, raising the question of whether Duran should keep the starting role when Watkins is fit.

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Since joining Villa in January 2023, Duran has started alongside Watkins just twice. While Emery has suggested openness to playing both strikers together, his preference clearly leans towards one or the other. Such a situation could potentially create friction, but Duran remains happy to play whatever role the team needs. "We worked hard as a team, and that is my job to score. The main thing was the win and the three points away from home," Duran told Amazon Prime. "I'm just happy to be here and I actually love the competition with Ollie Watkins. When it's my turn I'll step up and hopefully I can score and help the team. We're so happy to be where we are in the standings right now, but we've got to win the game at home [against Celtic] and we're almost through so we are delighted about that." Duran turns 21 on Friday and knows exactly how he wants to celebrate. "I am definitely not going out to celebrate my birthday because my aim is to score on Saturday to celebrate," he added.In his post-match interview, Emery provided a small insight into why he keeps starting Watkins over Duran. "Sometimes he [Duran] is very impassioned and we have to try and keep balanced with him," Emery told Amazon Prime. "He scored a great goal and he works; we are trying to get the team strong with a tactical approach. His potential is massive. Tactically he is improving and today he played a fantastic 45 minutes."

'Don't Leave Me Out'

It's not just Villa fans who are divided over which striker Emery should start going forward. "I know he is only young but you have every right to go and ask the manager why you are not starting if you are doing what he wants," Alan Shearer said of Duran on Amazon Prime. "Forget your age. If you are doing your bit and doing what the manager wants, you have to be in the team. His message will be: Don't leave me out again."Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Villa winger Marc Albrighton made the case for Watkins. "I thought Duran really led the line well. On previous occasions, obviously he gets his goals, but I think Watkins offers more as an all-round striker," Albrighton said. "I think that's probably why Emery favours him to start games, but I thought tonight when Duran came on, he put himself about more, he got more involved in the link-up play and then tops it off with his goal as well."