The 27-year-old is Aston Villa’s leading marksman this season – in fact, no other player comes close.
Steve Bruce has admitted to the club’s official website that he is concerned about Aston Villa’s overreliance upon top scorer Jonathan Kodjia – but the Ivorian is set to become even more essential after January signing Scott Hogan was stretchered off in Monday’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United.
A Yoan Gouffran strike and a horrific own goal from Henri Lansbury means Villa have now lost six of their last seven Championship games and are teetering just six points above the relegation zone.
Villa have also failed to find the net in six of their last nine games in all competitions and Bruce says the rest of his team needs to step up in order to alleviate the dependency upon the former Bristol City forward – though a potentially serious ankle injury suffered by Hogan means that is easier said than done.
“We have been in games, not taken our chances and that is a worry,” Bruce told the club’s official website of Kodjia who was subbed off with an injury himself at St James’.
“Over the time I’ve been here, if Jonathan Kodjia doesn’t score, we don’t score. We have to address that and be more clinical.”
Despite an influx of January signings designed to close the gap to the play-offs, Aston Villa have instead slid down the table, scoring only four goals in all competitions since the turn of the year.
And, damningly, Kodjia scored three of them despite being absent for four games due to his African Cup of Nations commitments – the Midland outfit won none and scored just twice, both in a 2-2 draw with Preston.
Overall, the 27-year-old is by far and away the club’s top scorer on 11. The next highest, Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish, have just three apiece.
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