BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas shared his thoughts on Ollie Watkins’ performance against Sheffield United while analysing Aston Villa’s 5-0 win on Match of the Day.
It was a statement win for Unai Emery’s side on Saturday, as the Villans recorded their biggest away win since 2008 to take them to fourth in the Premier League table.
It took just 47 minutes for all five goals to be scored, with a four-goal flurry in the first half ending the Blades’ hopes of a comeback before the interval.
From Leon Bailey’s audacious curling strike to Douglas Luiz’s impeccable assist, it was Ollie Watkins who once again caught the headlines for his performance in which the 28-year-old contributed to three of Villa’s five goals.
Recording his 11th goal of the season and registering two assists meant that the Englishman had become the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to reach the 10 or more goals and 10 or more assists milestone, reinforcing his importance to Emery’s front line.
Praised post-match for his “high commitment” to the Midlands club by his manager, the striker was lauded on the BBC’s Match of the Day, where his performance was studied by Jermaine Jenas.
What did Jermaine Jenas say about Ollie Watkins?
Describing Luiz’s pass to Watkins as being that of a “telepathic” connection between the Villa duo, Jenas hailed the forward as being a “different class” for his overall performance when leading the line.
“He was different class today and I think, every now and then you strike these partnerships with midfielders and today himself and Douglas Luiz were just telepathic.
“Every time he picks up the ball, Douglas Luiz, he’s just off, Ollie Watkins, he knows exactly what the midfield man wants to do.”
The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder went on to describe the “lovely sides” to Emery’s number 11’s game, as well as giving credit to the manager for his hand in the development of the £130k-a-week talisman.
“I also think the intelligence of his runs have massively improved, even since Unai Emery has arrived, he’s really kind of bending his runs, arching his runs.”
Currently sitting level as the fifth-highest scorer in the Premier League this season, Watkins’ rounded ability to act as both a clinical finisher and a source of creativity makes him an unstoppable force in the Spaniard’s side.
The Englishman penned a new deal with Villa back in October 2023, extending his stay to 2028, in what is expected to be an exciting period for the Villans, should their rise under Emery continue.
Having played 23 games in the 2023/24 league campaign, the Midlands giants sit just five points off the summit, leaving the club well poised to battle to the finish line for a spot amongst Europe’s elite, which is undoubtedly where their goal-getter belongs.
