Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins suffered a difficult night at Wembley on Saturday, starting for England against Brazil in the absence of Harry Kane.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was given the opportunity to show his worth on the international stage on Saturday night as England battled Brazil at Wembley.
The 28-year-old was chosen to lead the line in place of Harry Kane, who sat the fixture out due to injury concerns.
It was a disappointing evening for both Watkins and England, as the Three Lions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Brazil, with the Villa talisman failing to make an impact in the 90 minutes he played.
Registering only 24 touches on the ball, the striker’s night was eclipsed by his failure to score in the first half, firing the ball over from close range while under pressure.
How the media reacted to Ollie Watkins’ performance against Brazil
In what was essentially his audition to claim the second-choice striker role behind Kane, the media naturally reacted to what was a disappointing night for Watkins.
Sky Sports was quick to mention fellow competitor for the reserve spot behind Kane, Ivan Toney, in relation to the Villa man’s missed chance to show his worth, branding his display as an ‘opportunity missed’ and prompting for Toney to start against Belgium.
It was The Standard that handed Watkins his highest match rating from three publications, awarding the forward a 6/10 rating highlighting ‘a couple of decent openings’.
The Daily Mail handed the Premier League marksman a 5.5/10 rating, comparing his display last night to how he performs for Villa by saying: ‘just does not look the same player in an England shirt as he does in the Premier League’.
It was Goal that gave Watkins his lowest rating out of the reports, rewarding him just 4/10 for his efforts, explaining that he ‘struggled to get involved’ in what was an evenly contested game.
Ollie Watkins will want to redeem himself before the Euros
With all the talk that has surrounded the season that Watkins is having in the Premier League, there has been a surprising amount of speculation over who Gareth Southgate will take to this summer’s Euros.
Paul Merson explained that he fancies Toney to be selected ahead of the 28-year-old in his column for Sky Sports, sparking debate due to the Englishman’s contribution to Villa this term.
With 26 goal contributions in 29 appearances in the Premier League, there’s no denying that Watkins should go to the tournament with England, with no English player currently outscoring him in the league.
Unai Emery has undoubtedly unlocked a more rounded approach to play in his striker, with the Villa dynamo’s playmaking assets really coming to light this campaign.
The £130k-a-week striker can offer a lot more than he did against Brazil to Southgate, with there certainly a hope to redeem himself before the summer’s international action.
