Lille boss Paulo Fonesca has been wowed by one Aston Villa player ahead of his side’s UEFA Conference League clash on Thursday evening.
Unai Emery’s men cruised through to the last eight after an emphatic victory over Ajax in the middle of March.
The Conference League could now become a priority for Aston Villa after a tricky run of form in the Premier League of late.
Saturday’s frustrating 3-3 draw with Brentford means the Villans are now outside the top four. Tottenham moved into the Champions League places on Sunday and also hold an all-important game in hand.
With Conference League football now on the agenda, Fonesca has been talking ahead of the fixture at Villa Park this evening.
Paul Fonesca in awe of ‘amazing’ Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins
Fonesca – who has steered Lille fourth in Ligue 1 – has emerged as West Ham United’s number one contender to replace David Moyes should the Scot depart the London Stadium [iNews].
The Portuguese coach is highly thought of, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in charge of a Premier League club in the future.
In his pre-match press conference, the 51-year-old was full of praise for Ollie Watkins, who he believes is one of the best strikers in Europe.
“I believe a lot in our centre-backs, but he is an amazing striker,” he said [via Birmingham Live].
“He is hard to stop and he is in a great moment. We’ve prepared the game, so he won’t get many chances. For me, he is one of the best strikers in Europe.”
Ollie Watkins back to his best in Aston Villa’s 3-3 draw v Brentford
It was refreshing to see Watkins back to his best during Villa’s draw with Brentford on Saturday. He appeared to have brushed off his recent injury concerns and played a big part in Villa rescuing a point.
Watkins must stay fit if Villa want to maintain their slim hopes of a top-four finish. The 28-year-old’s importance in Emery’s system cannot be understated.
The England international is currently the third-highest goal contributor in Europe, with only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane recording more goals and assists.
Alan Shearer was also mightily impressed with the striker’s performance against Brentford.
“While it was a poor result for Villa, he was such a handful for Brentford’s defence and showed excellent instincts for both goals,” he said.
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