Donyell Malen Scores His First Premier League Brace: Has the Dutchman Finally Found His Feet?

Donyell Malen Scores His First Premier League Brace: Has the Dutchman Finally Found His Feet?

Aston Villa’s Donyell Malen had only scored three goals in an Aston Villa shirt before today’s game against Burnley. This afternoon, he has increased that tally by almost double by bagging two goals against the Clarets.

The 26-year-old, 45-time-capped Dutch international joined Villa from Borussia Dortmund for £21 million plus add-ons in January. Malen had only made three Premier League starts before his showing today at Turf Moor, and many Villa fans would’ve labelled the forward’s first nine months at the club as underwhelming.

Malen’s first goal against Burnley arrived in the 25th minute. A brilliant threaded through ball from Boubacar Kamara found the Dutchman with ease, and he would then use his thrilling pace to brush off Maxime Esteve and knock the ball over the line with a sliding finish.

Aston Villa SLICE Burnley open and Donyell Malen bags his first of the season! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YyRKhpDDcX

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 5, 2025

The former Arsenal academy man would then make it 2-0 to the away side in the second half. Once again, getting the better of Esteve to hammer home a scorching two-touch effort.

Aston Villa are BACK!

Donyell Malen doubles his and the Villans' advantage! 💣 pic.twitter.com/yCmaeMFuqk

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 5, 2025

Malen’s two goals were ultimately what secured Aston Villa’s second win of the league season. Due to the Villans' poor start to the campaign in front of goal, his brace also counts for a third of the Birmingham side's entire Premier League haul.

Tipped to be one of the greatest players of his generation in the Netherlands, playing at every national team youth level, Malen’s career has been satisfyingly successful thus far. From his breakthrough years at PSV Eindhoven to his appearance in the Champions League final for Borussia Dortmund, plenty of excitement surrounded Malen’s arrival in the West Midlands.

After a strong pre-season, goals in friendlies against Roma and Nashville SC, and little alterations in Villa's forward line over the summer. The Dutchman was expected to have an increased influence on Unai Emery's squad.

In his 230 Premier League minutes played this season, Malen has had eight shots, three of those being on target. This means that the forward’s conversion rate from his shots on target sits at 66.6%, an imposing figure.

Donyell Malen | POTM vs Burnley:

⚽️ 2 Goals
🥅 3 Shots
🎯 2 Shots on Target
🧠 2 Key Passes
🌟 8.26 WS Rating

Now Aston Villa’s top scorer this season.💥 pic.twitter.com/4c8sKe5T1d

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) October 5, 2025

The 26-year-old faces attacking competition from Evan Guessand, Harvey Elliott, Morgan Rogers, and Jadon Sancho. However, Malen is statistically far more experienced than his peers, having made well over 300 appearances at the senior level.

Despite a slow start on the goalscoring front, Malen’s brace today is a confidence boost that will hopefully inspire a sensational season at Villa Park. The Dutchman’s talent is undeniable, his exhilarating athleticism and clinical finishing on display at Turf Moor today. It appears that all Malen needed was a chance to play from the get-go.