It’s been a remarkable campaign for Aston Villa for so many reasons – and Unai Emery’s side are far from finished.
Champions League qualification is still very much within reach, with the Villans occupying fourth spot.
There have been plenty of standout performers this season: Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey and Emi Martinez, to name a few.
However, once again, Ollie Watkins’ goalscoring prowess has powered Aston Villa into an extremely strong position heading into the business end of the campaign.
The 28-year-old’s 13 Premier League goals mean he is among the elite forwards in Europe; if it wasn’t for Harry Kane’s presence, he would likely be Gareth Southgate’s first choice for the upcoming European Championships.
Watkins’ goalscoring hasn’t been his sole contribution. The £28million signing has also registered ten assists – it has been an outstanding campaign.
David James stunned by ‘remarkable’ Ollie Watkins Aston Villa form
The striker’s brilliant form hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Former Villa number one David James has had his say on the striker’s form.
In an interview with Ggrecon, he said: “I have to be biased and say Aston Villa.”
“I think Ollie Watkins is proving himself again this season, and it’s been a remarkable campaign for him.
“That being said, I think with the amount of goals and the lack of clean sheets we’re seeing in the Premier League at the moment, there seems to be a lot of players on big numbers when it comes to goalscoring.”
Is Ollie Watkins Aston Villa’s best-ever signing?
Considering the fee paid, there’s a solid argument to suggest Watkins is Aston Villa’s best-ever piece of business.
61 goals in 151 games and 25 assists have probably exceeded expectations following his £28million move from Brentford.
With Villa flying high near the top of the league, there’s every chance the striker will see out the prime years of his career in the West Midlands.
He’s contracted until 2028 and is at an age where another big-money move is probably edging into the rear-view mirror.
Watkins is enjoying life under Emery, and the Spaniard has previously alluded to his system suiting the striker’s strengths.
In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: “We give him a good structure so that he is comfortable but I have worked with a lot of strikers and they always score goals.
“I had Edinson Cavani. I had Alvaro Negredo. I had David Villa. I had Carlos Bacca. I had Gerard Moreno. I had Roberto Soldado.
“With Ollie, we need him to run in behind, hold up the ball, and then get into the box and score goals. But even when Ollie is not scoring goals, he is always committed to doing every task, always doing his work.”
