Ollie Watkins delivered a statement performance on Sunday, scoring twice as Aston Villa thrashed Liverpool 4-2 to secure Champions League football next season. The brace underlined a remarkable renaissance for the England striker, who just two months ago was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad and written off by many. His early-season form had dipped after niggling injuries picked up on international duty, and by Christmas he had netted only three Premier League goals. But since being omitted from the March international break, Watkins has exploded into life.
Across all competitions, he has found the net 11 times since that snub—outscoring even Three Lions captain Harry Kane, who managed 10 in the same period. Nine of those goals have come in the Premier League, more than any other player in the division. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is next on that list with seven, while Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is the closest Englishman on five. The numbers paint a clear picture: Watkins is currently the country’s most in-form striker.
Villa captain John McGinn joked he wished his teammate was Scottish after the match. “He was obviously disappointed in March but if it gave him a kick up the backside he’s certainly responded in the best way,” McGinn said. “We’re so fortunate to have him … I think he may have just snuck his way onto that plane.” Watkins himself admitted the England omission lit a fire inside him. “I had a slow start to the season, picking up a few niggles on international duty and then being left out of the England squad,” he said. “I think it gave me that fire in my belly to come back and prove what I can do. A lot of people had written me off this season and I use that as motivation.”
The timing could not be better. Tuchel faces a welcome headache ahead of naming his squad for the summer’s World Cup in North America. While Harry Kane is the undisputed first choice, the battle to be his deputy is wide open. Ivan Toney has been prolific in Saudi Arabia but the league’s lower competitive level makes direct comparison difficult. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, recalled in March after a five-year absence, and Brighton’s Danny Welbeck, last capped in 2018, trail Watkins by five goals in all competitions this season. Former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie told Sky Sports: “He’s got to be on the plane … Since being left out we’ve just seen a massive turning of the corner. He’s been relentless in front of goal, he’s shown his capabilities. He’s a totally different player to Harry Kane and gives them something different.”
Aston Villa’s season has mirrored Watkins’ resurgence. After winning only one of their first six league games, they have rallied to finish in the top four for the first time since 1996—the same year they last lifted a major trophy, the League Cup. Next week’s Europa League final against Freiburg in Istanbul offers a chance to end a 30-year silverware drought and claim a first European title since the 1982 European Cup. The 4-2 victory over Liverpool confirmed their Champions League return and sent them to Turkey on a high.
Manager Unai Emery was beaming after the match. “To achieve it is amazing. We can now 100% focus on the final,” he said. “We said at the start of the season we wanted to be in Europe, to be in the Champions League. To compete in both competitions and being consistent is not easy, we had a fantastic season in the Premier League. I am so proud.” McGinn labelled Villa “slight favourites” for the decider but cautioned they must “stay focused.”
With his confidence sky-high and his finishing razor-sharp, Watkins heads to Istanbul as the Premier League’s most lethal striker. If he can carry this form onto the European stage, not only will Villa’s trophy dream be alive, but a World Cup call-up will be a formality. For a player once written off, the script has been completely flipped.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
