'Magnificent' - Aston Villa's £21m gem lauded after Burnley performance and earns team of the week spot

Aston Villa secured a 2-1 win at home to Burnley in the Premier League over the weekend. Unai Emery’s side have started to find their feet after a slow start to the season. Donyell Malen managed to get on the score sheet twice against the newly promoted Clarets at Villa Park to help his side pick up a useful three points.

Emery’s men are positioned in 13th place in the table now after their first seven fixtures and they have nine points on the board. They are back in action after the international break as they look to keep their momentum going. Next up is an away trip to London to play Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 19th October.

Aston Villa attacker Donyell Malen hailed

Aston Villa attacker Malen should be in confident mood after his brace against Burnley. He is off the mark in this campaign now and will be looking to add to his tally over the coming weeks and months. The 26-year-old has endured a difficult first year in England.

He has made it into Troy Deeney’s Team of the Week. The ex-Birmingham City man has delivered his verdict on the player, as per a report by BBC Sport: “A weird start to his Aston Villa career - he came in from Borussia Dortmund and it looked like he would be helping them in the Champions League but he didn't make the squad because of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. Then he was a bit-part player, did OK but didn't look like he had the confidence. Against Burnley he got a start and scored twice. I think he's someone who needs to start and build into the game, he's better starting than coming off the bench. The two finishes were magnificent.”

What now for Donyell Malen at Aston Villa?

Aston Villa will hope that Malen can hit some form after his eye-catching display against Burnley. They swooped to sign him in January for a fee of around £21 million. However, it has taken him a while to get to grips to life in Birmingham.

Prior to Sunday’s victory over the Clarets, he had only scored three goals in 27 matches. He was brought in to bolster their attacking department. The Holland international, who has 27 caps to his name, provides more competition and depth to their options at the top end of the pitch.

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 Dutchman has also had spells in the past at Ajax, Arsenal and PSV.

Aston Villa have clicked into gear and the international break has come at an irritating time for them. They won’t want it to disrupt their momentum. Their upcoming opponents Tottenham won 2-1 away at Leeds United last time out.

BBC Sport’s Team of the Week in full: Senne Lammens; Daniel Munoz, Gabriel, William Saliba, Adrien Truffert; Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo; Donyell Malen, Mason Mount, Antoine Semenyo; Erling Haaland.