Matt Maher: Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins partnership is Unai Emery's Holy Grail at Aston Villa

Emery is shrewd enough to know 10 days is a long time in football, let alone 10 years. Yet while his words might have been slightly tongue-in-cheek, the exaggeration was merely to emphasise the fact right now he is very happy with his options up front.

The most telling quote was this: “Every Aston Villa supporter should be proud of how we can have strikers like Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.”

That seems a more than fair statement. It has been a very long time since Villa have possessed two strikers who might be considered among the 10 most dangerous forwards in English football.

Duran currently leads the way with 12 goals in all competitions, with Watkins on nine after his winner at Everton on Wednesday night. With Villa perhaps only halfway toward the total number of matches they will play this season, it is not beyond the realms of possibility both could pass 20 before the campaign has finished. The last time that happened at Villa was in 1983, when Gary Shaw and Peter Withe were leading the line. We really are in rare territory.

The key difference is Shaw and Withe were a partnership, whereas Duran and Watkins have largely shared game time. Just twice in the Premier League have they started together and neither of those occasions was this season. 

On the whole the job share scheme has worked rather well, yet it still can’t help you wondering just how high Villa might soar if Emery could find a system which enabled both to feature from the start of matches.

The head coach last month admitted he is yet to hit on an effective solution, with November’s late collapse at Tottenham when Villa lost all shape and discipline after Duran’s introduction off the bench a notable setback.

It could eventually prove the pair are incompatible. Watkins, through four-and-a-half seasons at Villa, has tended to be at his best when operating as a lone striker and though he this week claimed to be enjoying the competition with Duran, he does typically relish being the undisputed main man.

Yet such is their talent, Emery will feel duty bound to keep trying to establish a partnership. The potential rewards should he achieve it are simply too great.