On Wednesday night, Aston Villa picked up their fifth away defeat of the campaign as they were defeated 4-1 by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
From the off, it was clear that Unai Emery’s game plan was to stay compact and frustrate the hosts, but that went out the window almost instantly.
In truth, it was a frustrating evening for the Spaniard, despite his side bouncing back shortly after the opener to level the tie.
However, amongst the chaos and poor performances, there were a couple of individuals that stood out, with the first being Jhon Duran.
Jhon Duran’s performance vs Man City
With Ollie Watkins unable to make the squad due to injury, Emery called on 20-year-old Duran to lead the line in one of the most difficult games a striker would have in a Premier League season.
The Colombian has only started one game prior to last night’s defeat, but he started with confidence and belief, which unfortunately can’t be said for some of his teammates.
In all honesty, the number 24 was working with scraps all game long, having just 27 touches and making 11 passes due to the pure dominance of City.
However, Duran did get on the scoresheet for the third time this season, slotting home from a tight angle into the bottom corner, which momentarily gave Villa another lifeline.
His performance was one of the few positives that could be taken from the game, but there was one player who proved to the boss that he must now start every game after his showing.
Emery sold £18.5m Aston Villa "finisher" who is now outperforming Duran
Aston Villa sold a player last summer who is now outperforming Jhon Duran
ByRoss KilvingtonFeb 16, 2024 Morgan Rogers’ stats against Man City
Morgan Rogers returned to the club he developed at last night, but this time he was on the opposing side.
Since moving to Villa from Middlesbrough for an initial fee of £8m, the England U21 international has had to wait patiently for his opportunity to shine, playing just six times.
Last night’s clash was his third start for the Villans, and unlike his previous two outings, he was fielded in his usual central position just off the striker rather than at left midfield.
With this slight tactical tweak, Rogers was much more influential, with Birmingham Live handing him a 7/10 rating for his performance, which is also supported by the statistics.
Assists
1
Key passes
2
Pass accuracy
88%
Tackles
2
Interceptions
1
As you can see in the table, the “quality” ace, as dubbed by journalist John Townley, was quietly impressive yet again, despite being isolated and hounded out by City almost instantly.
In possession, Rogers actually retained the ball relatively well, especially when passing, as shown by his 88% pass accuracy, the highest of any Villa attacker.
The former Citizen also played a huge role in Villa’s only significant moment in the tie, showing his excellent vision and chance-creation ability by playing an inch-perfect one-two with Duran for his goal.
Furthermore, the versatile ace was also far more involved than anyone else outfield other than the two centre backs, having 46 touches and also showing his ability to help out defensively by making two tackles.
Overall, the only attacking success Villa had in the game went through Rogers, and although he was ineffective in spells, he certainly gave 110% over the 90 minutes, and the fact that he was the only attacker to not be subbed off does speak volumes.
Hopefully, it is a sign of things to come for the exciting talent, with a consistent run in the side now undoubtedly deserved.