Donyell Malen Makes Immediate Impact at AS Roma After Aston Villa Departure
Donyell Malen has quickly adapted to life at AS Roma, showcasing his striking prowess since joining on loan from Aston Villa in January. The Dutch forward is expected to make the move permanent under a previously agreed obligation to buy, pending certain conditions being met.
Aston Villa allowed Malen to leave in pursuit of more regular playing time, not wanting to hinder his career progression. Under the guidance of coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Malen has made five appearances and netted five goals, including braces in his last two matches.
Malen's Goal-Scoring Form and Key Performances
After scoring on his debut in a 2-0 away win against Torino, Malen experienced a brief goalless spell against Udinese and AC Milan. However, he has since regained his form, scoring four goals in his last two games.
Malen netted both of Roma's goals in a match against Cagliari, followed by another brace against Napoli on Sunday night. He put Roma ahead twice, scoring in the fourth minute and again from the penalty spot in the 71st minute, though Napoli managed to equalise both times, keeping them in third place above Roma.
Potential Europa League Reunion and Manager Praise
Aston Villa will discover on February 27 whether they are on the same side of the Europa League knockout bracket as Roma. If so, the two clubs could face each other in the quarter-finals, setting up a potential reunion.
Gasperini, who has provided Malen with opportunities that were limited at Villa, praised the striker after the 2-2 draw with Napoli. "I've always firmly believed in Malen: he has the best possible attributes a player can have in my opinion," Gasperini said. "This team needs a forward like him. He is often in a position to be dangerous, and his team-mates deserve credit too. He has just arrived and we can keep improving."
He added, "Then with Dybala if he recovers, plus Soule, who wasn't 100 per cent fit today, and El Shaarawy, we could be more competitive. Malen is not only good at penalties but also at free kicks. It wasn't easy against a keeper like Milinkovic-Savic; he did a good job."
Gasperini also reflected on the team's performance, stating, "Of course, had we had Malen in the first half of the season, we would have a few more points now. But we've grown in terms of attitude. We've won many games, but we've lost many head-to-head matches. We sometimes came close to picking up points. We're doing better in this second half of the season, despite drawing with Milan and Napoli. We're disappointed with these two results as we came close to winning both games."
