Many Aston Villa fans would happily see Donyell Malen have increased minutes on the pitch. Against Tottenham Hotspur, particularly if the game gets out of hand early, the Dutchman could see an excellent opportunity to further showcase his deservingness of being on the pitch more.
Malen is someone who gives all-out effort regardless of the score or situation. Against a Tottenham backline that can often gift opportunities to the opposition, the Netherlands international could see himself on the end of sequences that afford him a goal-scoring moment.
More often than not, Malen has made the most of when subbed on. This is a large part of the reason why Villa supporters would like to see him be played more under Unai Emery. Even if Spurs do not give away possession in a sloppy manner, he should be able to expose pockets of space and, minimally, be in a good position to get a shot on target off.
Currently signed on a five-year deal, Malen has his place secured with the club long-term. In his early impressions in B6, he's made an excellent case for his fit in the system and has become something of a fan favorite as a substitute.
Ton of Aston Villa potential for Malen
A lot can happen over the summer transfer window. While they are optimistic that Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford can return for the 2025-2026 campaign, Malen will still be seen as an essential player, regardless of what moves the club is forced to make.
Either way, there are not too many people who will be upset to see Malen subbed on at the half, or even if he finds his way into the starting XI at some point soon. The forward has shown a lot of early signs of progress. Not that Emery will feel any pressure in any form from anyone to make a move that he feels is not right to help his side, but the Dutch player could give the Spaniard something of an even more difficult decision to make moving forward.