Aston Villa’s Europa League victory over Bologna brought much-needed relief to Unai Emery’s side, but it also sparked fresh debate about the team’s penalty duties.
Captain John McGinn has now hinted that a change has already been made following Ollie Watkins’ costly miss from the spot.
Villa secured their first European win of the campaign thanks to McGinn’s decisive first-half strike, but the game could have been wrapped up earlier.
Aston Villa have a new penalty taker
In the 67th minute, Watkins stepped up for a penalty but saw his tame effort saved after striking the ball straight down the middle. The miss forced Villa to defend a narrow lead until the final whistle, something McGinn admitted cannot become a habit.
Speaking after the match, McGinn revealed that Donyell Malen is now Villa’s designated penalty taker whenever he is on the pitch.
“I’ve gone down the list after the Brentford one. Donyell was meant to take it, but he was off the pitch, so Ollie was next in line as the striker. It’s something we need to eradicate and get better at,” McGinn explained.
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Ollie Watkins is struggling to score goals
Ollie Watkins in action for Aston Villa against Roma in a pre-season friendly (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
The England striker has now gone nine games without scoring. Once linked with moves to Arsenal and Manchester United, Watkins now finds himself under pressure to rediscover the sharpness that made him Villa’s leading man.
While Watkins remains a vital part of Emery’s plans, his current struggles have opened the door for Malen to step into the spotlight.
If the Dutchman can deliver from the spot, it could ease Villa’s attacking concerns and give them a reliable option in high-pressure situations. For Watkins, however, the onus is now on him to regain his scoring touch and silence the growing criticism.
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