Since Unai Emery was appointed Aston Villa manager, Ollie Watkins has transformed into one of Europe’s best strikers.
A brilliant finisher of chances but also an excellent creator, Watkins is the fulcrum of Aston Villa’s attacking power, and without him, they’d struggle.
Last season, Watkins fired Villa into the Champions League as he registered a whopping 40 goal involvements in all competitions, including the most assists across Europe’s top five leagues.
The Englishman proved unstoppable in front of goal and at Euro 2024, where Watkins scored in the semi-final against the Netherlands, sending his nation through to the final.
So far this term, the 28-year-old has enjoyed a steady start with five goals and three assists in all competitions but one terrible statistic is preventing him from finding the net even more.
Ollie Watkins has missed most big chances in the Premier League
In the 2023/24 campaign, only Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak scored more Premier League goals than Watkins total of 19.
It was an outstanding year for both the England international and Aston Villa, as they recorded a fourth-place finish.
Watkins is on track to match or exceed the total of goals he plundered last term, though he could have had many more if he didn’t squander some golden opportunities.
Villa’s talisman has missed the most big chances (11) of any Premier League player in 2024/25, placing him ahead of Haaland, Dom Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Bruno Fernandes.
| Premier League 2024/25 most big chances missed | Value |
| Ollie Watkins | 11 |
| Erling Haaland | 10 |
| Dom Solanke | 7 |
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 7 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 6 |
Missing big chances is a common theme among the league’s best attackers, as it shows they’re getting in dangerous positions to score, and that puts them at risk of squandering opportunities.
- READ MORE: Gabby Agbonlahor urges Aston Villa to drop Leon Bailey and start duo for first time v Crystal Palace
Watkins drop off from 2023/24
It’s hard to criticise someone whose reputation has skyrocketed under Emery. Watkins value has risen by 142% since he arrived at Villa Park, and that just demonstrates his rise as an excellent forward.
When comparing how many goals he’s scored now to this stage last season there has understandably been a bit of a drop off.
By the end of November last term, Watkins had already fired in seven Premier League goals after failing to score in his first five games, whereas now, he’s currently on a total of five.
It isn’t too much of a change considering there have been three international breaks in as many months but the former Brentford star will want to kick on over the winter period, starting at home to Crystal Palace.
