Malen double lifts Villa past Burnley as Emery marks 150th with four in a row

Donyell Malen scored in each half as Aston Villa beat Burnley 2-1 at Villa Park, sealing a fourth straight victory in all competitions on Unai Emery’s 150th match in charge. Boubacar Kamara’s defence-splitting pass released Malen for the opener before Morgan Rogers supplied a ruthless second, while Lesley Ugochukwu’s late header ensured a fraught finish.

Villa registered their first back-to-back Premier League wins of the season and climbed to 13th on nine points after a winless start, their momentum a sharp contrast to September’s gloom. Burnley, competitive in patches but undone by key lapses, remain in the bottom three and are still without an away point since returning to the top flight.

A statement start and a striker’s touch

Emery’s side created the better early chances. Ollie Watkins was a whisker from turning in Malen’s near-post flick and Ezri Konsa drew a strong parry from Martin Dubravka with a free header, while Rogers bent a curling effort that was deflected wide. The sense was of a home side rediscovering their verve.

The breakthrough on 25 minutes captured Villa’s crispness. Kamara, afforded time to look up, threaded a perfect ball through a gap in Burnley’s back line and Malen, holding his balance despite being forced a touch wide, swept a low finish across Dubravka into the far corner. It was his first goal of the season and his first since April, a release that fed the crowd’s growing belief.

Martínez’s return steadies, Burnley show flashes

Back in goal after a calf problem that ruled him out of the midweek warm-up, Emiliano Martínez produced a superb one-handed stop to tip away Josh Cullen’s low strike, Burnley’s first effort of note. Earlier, Quilindschy Hartman had broken clear only to be flagged offside before testing the keeper, snapshots of the visitors’ threat on transition.

Yet set against those moments was the ease with which Villa prised Burnley open for the opener, a theme Clarets manager Scott Parker lamented as a recurring switch-off. Even so, the visitors remained in the game and were spared further damage when referee Andrew Kitchen waved away penalty appeals after Rogers tumbled under Axel Tuanzebe’s challenge.

Fine margins and the decision that wasn’t

Villa’s protests for a spot-kick underlined how narrow the margins were at 1-0. Rogers spun goal-side, the contact sent him to ground, but Kitchen stood unmoved. The incident roused Burnley, whose compact shape and willingness to spring forward kept Villa honest through a quieter spell after the interval.

Ultimately, the afternoon pivoted on concentration and execution. “When you switch off in this league, you get punished,” admitted Clarets captain Josh Cullen, a verdict borne out by what followed as Villa reasserted control.

Rogers the supplier, Malen the finisher; a late scare and perspective

On 63 minutes, with a change imminent, Malen struck again. Reading Rogers’ cute through ball down the right channel, he cushioned his first touch and then hammered a laces-first shot into the far corner for a clinical second. It felt the decisive moment and, at full time, “Malen! Malen! Malen!” rang around Villa Park.

Burnley, though, refused to fold. With 12 minutes left Ugochukwu met a Hartman delivery and his header wriggled through Martínez’s legs to make it 2-1, sharpening the tension. Armando Broja stabbed at a stoppage-time half-chance but could not make proper contact, and he was offside in any case.

Villa still finished the stronger, Dubravka tipping away late drives from Rogers and Lucas Digne, though Emiliano Buendía’s withdrawal after being caught by Zian Flemming’s elbow led to a concussion substitution deep into added time. Emery praised a “very good” month and spoke again of turning Villa Park into a fortress, while Parker rued the familiar theme of switching off in key moments. After the break, Villa visit Tottenham on 19 October before a Europa League trip to Go Ahead Eagles; Burnley face crucial games against Leeds and Wolves.