Aston Villa’s Europa League victory over Bologna brought much-needed relief to Unai Emery’s side, but it also sparked fresh debate about the team’s penalty duties.Captain John McGinn has now hinted that a change has already been made following Ollie Watkins’ costly miss from the spot.Villa secured their first European win of the campaign thanks to McGinn’s decisive first-half strike, but the game could have been wrapped up earlier.Aston Villa have a new penalty takerIn the 67th minute, Watkins stepped up for a penalty but saw his tame effort saved after striking the ball straight down the middle. The miss forced Villa to defend a narrow lead until the final whistle, something McGinn admitted cannot become a habit.Speaking after the match, McGinn revealed that Donyell Malen is now Villa’s designated penalty taker whenever he is on the pitch.“I’ve gone down the list after the Brentford one. Donyell was meant to take it, but he was off the pitch, so Ollie was next in line as the striker. It’s something we need to eradicate and get better at,” McGinn explained.More Stories / Latest NewsJohn McGinn names new penalty taker at Aston Villa after Ollie Watkins missSep 28 2025, 8:24Newcastle United line up January move for Juventus aceSep 28 2025, 8:03Sources: Tottenham & Arsenal send scouts to watch in-demand Real Madrid starSep 28 2025, 6:38Ollie Watkins is struggling to score goalsOllie Watkins in action for Aston Villa against Roma in a pre-season friendly (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)The England striker has now gone nine games without scoring. Once linked with moves to Arsenal and Manchester United, Watkins now finds himself under pressure to rediscover the sharpness that made him Villa’s leading man.While Watkins remains a vital part of Emery’s plans, his current struggles have opened the door for Malen to step into the spotlight.If the Dutchman can deliver from the spot, it could ease Villa’s attacking concerns and give them a reliable option in high-pressure situations. For Watkins, however, the onus is now on him to regain his scoring touch and silence the growing criticism.Aston Villa transfer “masterstroke” hailed for signing player “as good as Martin Odegaard”The post John McGinn names new penalty taker at Aston Villa after Ollie Watkins miss appeared first on CaughtOffside.