Donyell Malen made the difference for Aston Villa in a 2-1 win against Burnley, and the forward spoke about “trusting myself and my ability on the pitch” to pull through a tricky start at the club.
‘We stick with each other’
Malen was overjoyed to grab both goals in front of the fans and get his first brace for the team.
“If you’ve scored a goal at Villa Park, it’s an amazing feeling. You want that every weekend. If you start, you want that; if you come on, you want that; there’s no difference for me. It was a good day.”
Malen moved for £21 million from Borussia Dortmund in the winter window at the start of the year. It was a transfer that added to the depth in the offensive positions for the Villans without raising the ceiling, and the Dutchman did not set the world alight in the first five months of 2025. However, he hopes that the decision to return to English shores, after two years at Arsenal, will reap its rewards.
“I trust myself and what I can do. I knew when I signed here that Villa had good players and I knew that it was a big club. Sometimes things take a bit of time and a bit of getting used to, but I know that I trust myself and my ability on the pitch. That’s the most important thing.”
Patience has been a big virtue for the rest of the group, who went winless across six fixtures in the Carabao Cup and Premier League at the start of the season. They have now been victorious in their last four outings, including two in the Europa League, and are looking to keep the momentum going.
“We didn’t start that well, but the thing about this team is it’s been through a lot for the last two or three years, the coaches as well. We’ve got connections and we trust each other. When things aren’t going well, it’s tough, but we’ve been honest with each other, we stick with each other and from there everyone was determined to turn it around. We’ve come through the period of four games well.”
