Ollie Watkins was back in the Aston Villa starting lineup for the visit of Newcastle United having been left out of both legs against PSG, and produced an outstanding display in the thrashing of the Magpies
Ollie Watkins was fuelled by “anger” as he helped Aston Villa to a vital win. The England ace has had to play second fiddle to Marcus Rashford but scored one and made one to sink Newcastle after being recalled by boss Unai Emery.
But Watkins admits he was not happy to be left on the bench against PSG – and told his manager as much.
He said: “I’m not going to lie – I was fuming I wasn’t playing. I let him know that. He’s the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I’m not one of the players happy to sit on the bench.
‘It’s something I haven’t experienced before, missing out on the biggest stage. You always want to play, especially in the Champions League. Me and a few others are disappointed we didn’t start the game, but like I said, it’s the manager’s decision.
“I wanted to be starting in the important games because I’ve played a big part to get to where we are today. Rather than let it hinder you, you have to use that anger and let it spur you on to prove the manager different.”
READ MORE: Aston Villa give Unai Emery answer he was looking for with Newcastle demolitionREAD MORE: Graham Potter responds to angry West Ham fans as Hammers star slams team-mates
Emery insisted: “It was a very good conversation. I want to try and help all my players. We have increased clearly the level and demands, before we didn’t have enough players to play. If I have two players per position, not only 11 players, then the squad has momentum.
“He’s fantastic when he plays like today. I’m very happy with my players.”
Jason Tindall again filled in for Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, suffering with pneumonia, but could not give an update on his manager.
He said: “It was a difficult evening and probably one step too far with the physical effort we’ve had. I will remain in charge until told otherwise. The most important thing for Ed is he rests and recovers. The more he does that, the quicker he will be able to lead the team again.”
Tindall revealed Fabian Schar went off with a hamstring issue.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
