'Fantastic' - £21m Aston Villa gem dazzles to defy critics on international duty after brutal previous verdict

Aston Villa head to Elland Road on Sunday afternoon to play Leeds United. The international break has given Unai Emery the chance to rest and recharge ahead of the busy winter schedule. His side will be looking to keep their momentum going over the coming weeks.

The Midlands club have seen an upturn in form in the league after a slow start to the season. They are aiming to get back into the Champions League after missing out last season. Emery’s men are currently positioned in 6th place in the Premier League table and are only a point off the top four.

Aston Villa’s Donyell Malen catches the eye for Holland

Aston Villa attacker Donyell Malen scored in their last game against AFC Bournemouth. They won 4-0 against the Cherries at Villa Park. Emi Buendia, Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana also got themselves on the scoresheet. The forward has been away with Holland this past week. They have already booked their place at the World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico next summer.

He found the net against Lithuania in their latest World Cup qualifying game. They picked up a 4-0 victory with Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo and Xavier Simons also scoring. Malen seemed to impress local media and Football Oranje have delivered this glowing verdict regarding his performance: “A fantastic solo goal added a fourth for Oranje and gave Malen something to cheer. He was in and out of the game but always full of running.”

Holland drew 1-1 with Poland last Friday. Memphis Depay struck for them but they weren’t able to find a winner. Football Oranje’s assessment of Malen in that match wasn’t as complimentary. They said: “Got the ball a lot but did very little with it. Played a role in the goal but only because he missed a point blank header. The right wing position remains a big issue for Oranje and Malen doesn’t look like the answer.”

New lease of life for Aston Villa attacker Donyell Malen under Unai Emery

Malen has enjoyed a new lease of life at Aston Villa over recent times and has been getting plenty of game time. They swooped to sign him in January for a fee of around £21 million. However, it initially took him a while to get to grips to life in Birmingham.

He has made 35 appearances in all competitions to date and has scored seven goals, three of which have come this term. The Dutchman gives them more competition and depth at the top end of the pitch. He has managed to keep summer recruits Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho out of the team recently.

Malen impressed at Borussia Dortmund during his time with the Bundesliga giants from 2021 to 2025. He fired 39 goals in 132 outings and helped his previous team reach the Champions League final two years ago. The player has also had spells in the past at Ajax, Arsenal and PSV and seems to be finding his feet with his current club now.