Ollie Watkins Can Still Turn 'Toughest' Season into Best Yet and Unai Emery Knew It All Along
Ollie Watkins has rediscovered his scoring touch at a critical juncture for Aston Villa, demonstrating resilience that manager Unai Emery has long championed. If asked to describe his striker in one word, Emery would unequivocally choose 'fighter'.
Emery's Unwavering Confidence Amid Fan Criticism
Emery's steadfast belief in certain players has faced scrutiny from supporters at various stages this season. This was particularly evident during Morgan Rogers' early struggles and Watkins' prolonged periods of inconsistency. However, Emery's perspective extends beyond superficial metrics.
Analyzing a player's contribution requires more than just statistics, whether examining underlying data or simple goal tallies. For Watkins, his role within Villa's tactical framework is as crucial as Youri Tielemans' creativity and John McGinn's leadership. Despite enduring a challenging campaign, Villa's primary striker has delivered vital interventions.
From Injury Setbacks to Historic Milestones
Watkins amassed 56 goal contributions across 75 Premier League appearances in the previous two seasons. Yet, before December, he was directly involved in merely one goal this term—against Fulham. Prior to Villa's match at Brighton early that month, Emery disclosed that Watkins had been managing knee discomfort for some time, partially explaining his difficulties.
A first-half brace at the Amex Stadium served as a potent reminder of Watkins' finishing prowess. However, during Villa's impressive 11-match winning streak, the England international scored in only two of those games, though he netted four times overall, including a decisive double in a comeback victory at Chelsea.
In a candid interview with BBC Sport, Watkins confessed this season has been the "toughest moment" of his career, prompting him to seek guidance from former striker Michael Owen.
"The toughest moment for me has probably been, throughout all of my career, this season," Watkins reflected. "Just because I have done so well to get to where I am, scored goals in the Premier League and then you set that expectation after hitting a new level."
"I have scored goals in Europe, and after that goal in the Euros, there’s more eyes on you. Then this year I haven't been at the level I have wanted to, so to learn to deal with that is hard."
He added, "It can always change, football always changes, and you can score three goals in a game and then everyone says ‘he’s back in form’. I think that change of not being at the level you want to be is difficult, but I always have faith in my ability. I work so hard that I know I can get back to the level I achieved in previous seasons."
Breaking Records and Setting New Targets
Watkins' resurgence has been marked by significant achievements. After scoring the opener against Bologna in the Europa League quarter-final second leg, he became the first Villa player to reach 100 goals for the club since Peter McParland in 1962.
A first-half double against Sunderland subsequently propelled him into the top 10 all-time goalscorers in Villa's 151-year history. He has now scored 10+ goals in all six of his Premier League seasons with Villa (11 this term), a feat matched only by Sadio Mané in the competition's history for consecutive campaigns with double-figure tallies.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs and it’s definitely a milestone I will cherish," Watkins acknowledged recently. "It only gives me motivation to score 100 Premier League goals now. That is the next one."
"I want to keep scoring each game. I am really enjoying this period of the season. I want to keep pushing now. It is not a time to relax. We want to keep pushing."
"We have it all to play for. The games are coming thick and fast. Obviously Sunderland don’t have European football so have had all week to prepare for it. It is important we rest up now and focus again on Sunday."
International Snub as Catalyst for Revival
Whether directly causative or not, Thomas Tuchel's decision to exclude Watkins from England's March squad appears to have ignited his improved form. The upcoming World Cup may represent Watkins' final opportunity to feature on that global stage, a fitting reward for his journey through the football pyramid to establish himself among the Premier League's elite forwards.
Securing a World Cup recall and potentially lifting the Europa League with Villa in May could rapidly transform the "toughest moment" of his career into its most celebrated highlights.
"He is a fighter. Three years ago he wasn't in the national team when he deserved to be there," Emery remarked as Watkins began his return to form. "He must recover his fighting way. When he does his task, his numbers [goals] are coming."
"Now, he must be focused on us to recover his confidence and numbers. Getting his numbers again, he will be close to being back with the national team."
Emery continued, "Sometimes he plays brilliant, and sometimes not. When he doesn't score we lack something from him. Always he plays well because he always does his task and works for the team."
Team Dynamics and Collective Challenges
Multiple factors have contributed to Watkins not matching his previous seasons' heights, involving both individual and collective aspects. Despite Villa contending for Champions League qualification via a top-five finish and pursuing European success, they rank only 11th in big chances created this season. Their expected goals (xG) total of 41.9 places them 13th in the league.
"As a team, if the team aren’t playing well it is hard personally for me to play well as well," Watkins emphasized. "It is better for me if the team are at their best, playing in good combinations. The more chances I get, the better for me so yeah, collectively as a team we are playing well and I feel that helps me."
