Jhon Duran started the game, Nicolo Zaniolo finished it. Both are unique characters — instinctive and boasting undoubted talent.
In an increasingly watered-down football landscape, Duran and Zaniolo are fascinating, on and off the pitch.
Even though the cliche is overused, the idea that Duran needs to feel valued and loved rings true. It was not surprising when his Instagram account, his profile picture still blacked out and with no reference in his profile to Aston Villa, posted following the 4-0 win against Ajax on Thursday evening. He had scored, played a starring role and was the last player down the tunnel, bathing in the adulation.
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When Villa signed him in January last year, Duran was viewed by those within the scouting industry as one of the best teenagers of his profile in the world. The Colombia international possesses the physical attributes with concerns more related to his mindset and attitude. It has frustrated supporters and his club alike, creating needless headlines about himself, whether it is deleting and then re-uploading Villa-related posts, cryptic tweets and his general manner.
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But when he is smiling and at full tilt, Duran has carved himself a niche as Villa’s erratic entertainer. At his most free-flowing, he is direct, powerful and shoots often and always, invariably lashing the ball as hard as he can. It is not a coincidence two of his five goals this season have cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.
Duran’s inclusion against West Ham United was a result of his performance against Ajax and a sudden shift in momentum. It was his first Premier League start, 13 months after joining, and was as much to do with tactics as it was with Unai Emery playing to his ego, knowing a happy Duran is a dangerous Duran.
Duran arrived at the London Stadium and walked straight through onto the pitch. Airpods in, Duran was filmed by Villa’s media team. He gave a little shimmy and a serious smile, looking straight down the camera before, at the last moment before the clip cuts off, a gentle smile.
His involvement from the outset, though, required a rewiring of Villa’s system. It was the first time Emery had paired two archetypal ‘No 9s’ together this season, as Ollie Watkins dovetailed with Duran. This was consequential in the midfield’s shape, with Emery deviating away from two attacking midfielders flanking the lone No 9.
Emery signalled for Duran to spin his direct marker, Kurt Zouma. Duran tends to be expressive in his gestures and responded by pointing to the ball, demanding better service. Afterwards, Emery said Villa’s right side — with Leon Bailey, Ezri Konsa and Duran drifting across as part of his split-striker role — were “not connecting very well”, despite the team registering 65 per cent possession. Duran and Emery continued to point at one another until the Colombian ran to the touchline with questions of his own.
Villa remained stilted and stifled throughout the first half. Growing pains to Emery’s build-up structure were exacerbated by poor quality playing out from defence. Tellingly, Duran (12) and Watkins (15) had the lowest number of touches of any player on the pitch. Duran, in contrast to his mood before kick-off, trudged down the tunnel, but ahead of Bailey, having exchanged words just moments before. Duran had temporarily stood still arms outstretched and slapping his thighs.
Duran was replaced by Moussa Diaby, a comedown on the heady heights of three nights before. Duran is young and inexperienced but allows his emotions to see-saw to polarising ends of the scale too frequently.
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Aston Villa's Jhon Duran - what's going on?
As Duran showered and changed, Zaniolo was being readied. An hour had passed and Villa were chugging along, improved but not cutting. Diaby’s introduction enabled Emery to return to Villa’s customary shape, with Zaniolo slotting in alongside and, at times, behind Watkins.
The Italian is a young man with a chip on his shoulder and an inherent arrogance. It is what shapes him; making him the player he is, but conversely stopped him from getting to where he should have gone. The same was on show here, as he got involved in a heated exchange with Edson Alvarez and then West Ham’s entire bench after throwing the ball away in protest.
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He is the same away from football, rating himself highly and carrying some baggage. Zaniolo’s career has veered from breakthrough talent, injuries and fallout at all his clubs. On the topic of Instagram posts, it was fitting that the song Zaniolo picked to accompany his Roma departure was James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful. As The Athletic’s James Horncastle previously wrote, it is among the more misunderstood songs — indicative of the player himself.
But just like the song goes, a fleeting love affair ending abruptly, Zaniolo was dumped by Roma early last year. He refused to play one game, knowing the club wanted to sell him. It led to a group of fans confronting Zaniolo near his home.
Zaniolo’s demeanour often results in skirmishes on the pitch, even if he spends most of the time off it. His most recent Premier League start came on December 3 against Bournemouth, when he was hooked at half-time. Emery’s belief in him has since diminished.
Still, Zaniolo’s maverick tendencies, as with Duran, can be harnessed for good. His equaliser was the type of box-crashing run Emery desires from his creative midfielders, meeting one of Villa’s cutbacks.
“Nicolo’s impact was fantastic,” said Emery. “Hopefully we can add him in this move for the rest of the season.”
Zaniolo is on loan from Galatasaray and is unlikely to stay at Villa past this summer. The same, if his irritations resurface again, might be true for Duran. For now, though, a point from games like these are invaluable and sometimes need a certain type of character not to conform to convention.
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Nicolo Zaniolo: a game-changing talent still seeking consistency
(Top photo: Nicolo Zaniolo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
