Speaking after our 4-1 win over Newcastle Utd on Saturday evening, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins offered a candid response when talking about his lack of playing time and starts in recent weeks for some big games.
Having totalled just 25 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain across both legs of our Champions League quarter-final tie, as well as being left on the bench for key Premier League and FA Cup games, it would have been a frustrating month or so for the 29-year-old as he hasn’t been used to a more limited role for some time.
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For some, that could easily have led to a sulking attitude and not being at their best when called upon, but not Watkins. The Villa frontman has responded brilliantly over the past week, sparking us into life to secure a win at Southampton last weekend, before coming back into the side and firing us to all three points in a crunch encounter with a direct rival for a Champions League qualification spot this weekend.
It took Watkins just 33 seconds to break the deadlock against Newcastle, albeit with the help of a deflection, while he twice struck the woodwork thereafter as he continued to threaten in front of goal.
Beyond his goalscoring efforts though, his movement, work ethic and ability to hold play up and link things together was superb, as he also registered an assist when playing a perfectly-weighted through ball to Ian Maatsen to put us back ahead in a pivotal moment in the clash.
The Villa ace spoke candidly in his post-match interview as he conceded that he was fuming to be left out against PSG, but he’s shown professionalism, character and desire to put that aside and deliver when needed for Unai Emery and the team, as he’s leading our charge to secure a top-five finish in the league as we made it five wins on the bounce.
As he closes in on becoming Villa’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League and with the potential of winning silverware still ahead as well as making it back-to-back seasons in the Champions League, there is a narrative that it could be time for Watkins to leave us this summer if all goes well between now and the end of the campaign.
While there is some credence to that argument, it would surely be the wrong move for both parties given how consistently excellent Watkins has been at Villa over the past three years, and ultimately competition for places is a natural part of the game for teams looking to compete across multiple fronts for major honours.
That could be a big decision for all concerned down the line, but for now though, our full focus will be on our remaining games this season and achieving our objectives, and there is little doubt that a rejuvenated and highly-motivated Watkins will play a fundamental role in helping us get there, whether he’s a consistent starter or not.
3️⃣3️⃣ seconds is all it took 👏 pic.twitter.com/fqAfG8GNMB
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 19, 2025
