Malen on target twice as Villa see off Burnley | OneFootball

Aston Villa stretched their winning run to four matches as Donyell Malen’s brace secured a 2-1 victory over Burnley at Villa Park.

Villa had endured a tricky opening six games, leaving questions over Unai Emery’s side, but they have now bounced back impressively, following wins in the Europa League against Bologna and Feyenoord, and a league victory over Fulham.

The breakthrough came in the 25th minute. Boubacar Kamara played a perfectly timed through ball to Malen, who outpaced Maxime Estève and slid a low finish into the bottom corner.

Villa continued to dominate possession and create chances, with Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins seeing efforts blocked or saved, while returning goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez kept Burnley at bay with a fine stop to deny Josh Cullen.

The hosts doubled their advantage midway through the second half. Morgan Rogers picked out Malen on the edge of the box, and the forward fired a low, unstoppable drive into the far corner in the 63rd minute, cementing his impact on the game.

The Clarets fought back late on. In the 78th minute, Lesley Ugochukwu powered a header through Martínez’s legs from a Quilindschy Hartman corner, giving the visitors a lifeline and adding some tension to the closing stages. However, Villa held firm to preserve the lead.

The win lifts Villa to 13th in the Premier League, while Scott Parker's side remain in the bottom three after a fifth league defeat in seven games.

Incidents: The story of the match

1':

The match begins

14':

Opportunity wasted! Pau Torres of Aston Villa attempted a header from the center of the box but couldn't find the target. The chance was set up by John McGinn, who delivered a cross following a corner kick.

Aston Villa takes the lead with a score of 1-0 against Burnley. Donyell Malen finds the back of the net with a right-footed shot from the center of the box, placing it perfectly into the left corner. The assist comes from Boubacar Kamara.

25':

GOAL Aston Villa: Donyell Malen (Aston Villa) scores!

Donyell Malen scores goal number 1 in the competition (7 matches)

45 +3':

Opportunity wasted. Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa took a left-footed shot from the middle of the penalty area, but it sailed over the crossbar. The assist came from John McGinn.

55':

Opportunity wasted! John McGinn of Aston Villa took a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but it went wide to the left. The setup came from Donyell Malen following a corner kick.

Aston Villa leads Burnley 2-0. Donyell Malen scores with a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area.Aston Villa leads Burnley 2-0. Donyell Malen scores with a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area, finding the left corner of the net. The assist comes from Morgan Rogers.

63':

GOAL Aston Villa: Donyell Malen (Aston Villa) scores!

Donyell Malen scores goal number 2 in the competition (7 matches)

69':

Missed opportunity. Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa attempted a header from the right side of the six-yard box but sent it wide to the left. The assist came from Evann Guessand, who headed the ball following a corner kick.

Aston Villa 2, Burnley 1. Lesley Ugochukwu scores for Burnley with a header from the middle of the box, sending the ball straight into the net. The assist came from Quilindschy Hartman, who delivered a cross following a corner kick.

78':

GOAL Burnley: Lesley Ugochukwu (Burnley) scores!

Lesley Ugochukwu scores goal number 1 in the competition (6 matches)

90':

Opportunity wasted! Ross Barkley of Aston Villa attempted a header from the right side of the six-yard box following a corner kick, but couldn't convert.

90 +2':

Missed opportunity! Lesley Ugochukwu from Burnley attempted a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area...

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match