Donyell Malen’s brace helped Aston Villa record four consecutive wins across all competitions as they downed Burnley 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Malen netted his first two goals of the season either side of half-time to ensure all three points for Unai Emery’s side, who moved up to 13th.
Villa opened the scoring in the 25th minute as Malen finished coolly beyond Martin Dubravka before doubling his tally just after the hour with a fierce finish into the bottom-left corner.
But Burnley pulled a goal back with 12 minutes to go as an unmarked Lesley Ugochukwu headed home from a corner, but Villa were able to hold on for another big win.
Villa are now within a point of the top half in the Premier League table, while Burnley’s fifth straight league match without a win leaves them down in 18th.
How the match unfolded
Villa forced Dubravka into an early save, with the Burnley goalkeeper equal to Ezri Konsa’s header from a corner, but Emery’s team soon got Villa Park bouncing again.
Malen raced on to Boubacar Kamara’s sumptuous pass in behind, with the Villa forward holding off the pressure from Maxime Esteve before finishing into the bottom-left corner.
Burnley, however, came close to restoring parity 10 minutes before the break, but Emiliano Martinez brilliantly sprang to his right to repel Josh Cullen’s low strike from the edge of the area.
Villa went close again at the start of the second half, but a sprawling Dubravka denied Morgan Rogers from close range as the home side increased the tempo.
They were not to be denied, however, as England international Rogers picked up an intelligent position on the edge of the area and found Malen, who struck a powerful effort into the far corner to double his and Villa’s tally in the 63rd minute.
The away side set up a nervy finish as Ugochukwu rose highest to nod under the feet of Martinez from a corner, but Villa were able to hold on for all three points.
Villa continue winning run as Malen shines
Villa had endured a tough start to the season with no wins from their opening five league matches along with an early EFL Cup exit, but three straight wins had injected a bit of optimism into the team.
They made a decent start here and found the net halfway through the first 45, with Malen finishing coolly.
His goal was even better for the second, striking an effort on the half-volley and into the far corner of the net after being set up by Rogers, who improved as the match wore on.
Malen took both goals with aplomb as he enjoyed a rare league start, highlighting Villa’s strength in depth in the attacking positions and proving that they can still function and flourish without the goals of Ollie Watkins.
The only blot was the goal conceded from a corner, but after such a poor start, points are of paramount importance, and Villa now have momentum on their side for the first time this campaign.
Villa travel to face Tottenham Hotspur after the international break and will be looking to continue their impressive streak in the capital on 19 October.
Losing run for Burnley continues as woes deepen
Despite some battling displays this season, Scott Parker’s men were in desperate need of some points after a winless run that had already stretched to four matches in the league, before they visited Villa Park.
There were some encouraging signs for the Clarets in the first half, as they got into some attacking positions, but they struggled to convert those openings into clear-cut opportunities and failed to register a shot in the first 30 minutes.
The opening goal will have frustrated Parker, as they looked compact without the ball, but it only took one pass on the transition to completely expose the Burnley backline and provide Villa with the all-important opener.
Despite going further behind, the Clarets did not fall away and found a way back through Ugochukwu from a corner, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Parker will hope his side can register their second victory of the season when they host fellow promoted side Leeds United on 18 October.
Club reports
Aston Villa report | Burnley report
What the managers said
Unai Emery: "Here in Villa Park we have to make it a fortress, we have to compete and we are finishing before the international break in good balance. We are feeling more comfortable than we were. I am really happy how the players have responded with our demands."
Scott Parker: "We were competitive, the second goal was poor from us. It's a young team and I think over the first seven games we have switched off at times. If you switch off for one second here you get punished."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
After going winless in each of their opening six games of the season (D4 L2), Aston Villa are now on the joint-longest ongoing winning run among Premier League teams across all competitions (4 – also Arsenal).
Since the start of April, Rogers has recorded the most assists in the Premier League (8), at least two more than any other player (Mohammed Kudus - 6).
Burnley have won just two of their 40 Premier League matches across their last two Premier League campaigns, when excluding fixtures against promoted opposition (D9 L29).