Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has been the catalyst to Unai Emery’s success this season, with statistics now showing just how important the 28-year-old is to the Villans’ European hopes.
Aston Villa wouldn’t be where they are without Ollie Watkins.
Unai Emery has a lot to thank the Englishman for this season and vice versa, as the 28-year-old continues to flourish under the manager’s guidance.
With 16 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League this campaign, the former Brentford striker is in the form of his career in the top flight, with only Erling Haaland having scored more goals than him this term.
While the England international is second in the scoring charts, he’s top of the pile in terms of assists, portraying just how much his overall gameplay has elevated under Emery.
It doesn’t take a lot to work out just how important the forward is to the progression of Villa’s current squad although, one emerging statistic shows just how integral Watkins is to the club’s future hopes.
What Ollie Watkins has done more than any Premier League player this season
As relayed by B/R Football, no outfield player in the Premier League has played more minutes this season than Watkins.
Having played 2,568 minutes of football, the 28-year-old is showing no sign of tiring, despite his heavy influence in the Europa Conference League too.
The performance levels haven’t dropped for the Englishman this campaign, with his longest streak without a goal or assist in the league being just two games.
Remarkably, Watkins has been involved with an incredible 43.3% of Villa’s Premier League goals this season, scoring or assisting on 26 occasions.
Aston Villa could not manage without Ollie Watkins
With nine games left in the league, Villa have it all to play for, with Champions League qualification in their sights, as well as the chance to earn European silverware in the Conference League.
The reliability of the striker is key for Emery’s side’s success this season and beyond, with there being a blanket of reassurance when it comes to his ability to play so much football over a campaign.
Considering the array of shortages that Villa have combatted this term, the club simply could not manage in the instance that Watkins was out of action, which was almost a reality as he hobbled off against Ajax.
Luckily, it was a nasty cut that saw the Englishman exit play, however, it hammered home just how important his fitness is to Villa’s ambitions.
It’s already been noticed that the Villans are missing key players in other areas, particularly the midfield with both Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn currently absent due to injury and suspension, respectively.
Villa have struggled without McGinn in particular, as highlighted during their mundane 1-1 draw with West Ham, exposing a hole that is difficult to fill.
A void that would be impossible to cover is that of Watkins, reinforcing just how vital the striker’s strengths to keep fit and available all season are to Emery.
The hope is that the 28-year-old remains fit and firing on international duty with England and returns to Villa Park ready to continue his rich form for the crucial challenges ahead.
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