Peter Withe was the last player to score 20 goals in a season for Aston Villa (1980-81). Withe's scoring record has existed for more than 40 years but will most likely be broken before the end of this season.
Ollie Watkins scored his 19th goal of the season at the Emirates. This could be a turning point for the Gunners to fall behind in the Premier League title race. With 6 remaining matches, Arsenal are 2 points behind champions Man City.
Watkins has performed excellently since Unai Emery took over at Villa Park in November 2022. The England striker has scored 32 goals in that time, with only Erling Haaland (39) having a better record. Haaland and Cole Palmer are currently leading the race for Premier League top scorer this season with the same 20 goals, but Watkins is closely behind with only 1 goal less.
"I think Watkins' best form is coming," Emery said last month. The goal against Arsenal at the Emirates was a testament to this player's perfect skill set. From Jorginho's missed pass, Youri Tielemans passed the ball to Ollie Watkins who rushed down to face the goalkeeper. The English striker then passed Emile Smith Rowe's foot into the far corner, sealing a 2-0 victory for Aston Villa.
Not only did Watkins show impressive form in the domestic league, they also continuously scored in the Europa Conference League to bring Villa to the semi-finals. Remember, among all Watkins' goals this season, there has been none from the penalty spot. Douglas Luiz is the new penalty Taker for Villa.
Watkins has scored 19 goals not including penalties in the Premier League this season, at least 3 more than any other player. While Haaland (4) and Palmer (6) relied on penalties to increase their goals, Watkins did not do the same. The 28-year-old must rely on Villa's ability to move intelligently and finish quality from an open style of play.
Watkins has not only contributed goals to Emery's team this season. A striker's main goal is to score, which Watkins is doing at a very high standard, but this player has also had 10 assists. No one else in the Premier League this season has contributed more goals than the English striker.
It is no surprise that goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has spoken about the possibility of Watkins being voted the best player of the Premier League season. "I think Watkins should win the MVP award. When you play for a big team, you get more confidence, but he has scored 19 goals from the chances he had," said the 2022 World Cup winner.
This is an award that the players of Man City and Liverpool have dominated in the past 6 seasons. But now, Watkins deserves to be on the list of potential candidates, along with Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Rodri, Haaland and Palmer.
attention will soon turn to Gareth Southgate's squad for EURO 2024. Harry Kane is the number one choice striker but his reserve role is still controversial. In terms of Kane's position, Ivan Toney is probably the most suitable player, but Watkins' scoring form and ability are clearly more impressive.
Moreover, considering the entire England attack except for Kane, almost no one has reached Watkins's number. Therefore, regardless of the role, the Aston Villa striker should be trusted by Southgate this summer.
