The roar at Villa Park has a familiar tone again, and it belongs to Ollie Watkins. After a challenging spell that saw critics questioning his place in Unai Emery’s high-flying side, the 30-year-old striker has responded with a clinical explosion of goals, prompting teammate Amadou Onana to take aim at those who “wrote him off.”
Villa’s dramatic 4-3 victory over Sunderland on Sunday was more than just a three-point haul; it was a testament to the resilience of a striker who has officially cemented his name in the club’s history books.
A Historic Week for the Number 9
Watkins didn’t just find his form this week; he rewrote the record books.
- The Century Mark: By scoring against Bologna last Thursday, Watkins became the first Aston Villa player to reach 100 goals for the club since Peter McParland in 1962.
- Top 10 Status: His opening goal against Sunderland on Sunday moved him into the top 10 all-time scorers for the club.
- The Purple Patch: With five goals in his last six appearances, the “bad phase” that dominated headlines last month is firmly in the rearview mirror.
Onana: “We Never Doubted Him”
Midfielder Amadou Onana was vocal in his support for the England international following the seven-goal thriller against the Black Cats. Onana suggested that the external noise had reached the locker room, but never fractured the squad’s belief.
“I guess because he was going through a bad phase, people wrote him off,” Onana said. “But he is a guy who believes in himself and he has us around him as well, telling him what he is worth, every single day.”
Onana also highlighted the difficulty of adapting to Unai Emery’s rigid tactical structure—a “process” that even he had to navigate—praising Watkins for his work ethic and mental toughness.
The Emery Evolution
While Watkins grabbed the headlines, the match also showcased the depth of Emery’s squad. Tammy Abraham came off the bench to secure the win, proving that Villa’s attacking arsenal is becoming increasingly diverse.
Emery himself remained focused on the collective, even interrupting reporters to clarify his stance on Jadon Sancho and the “mistakes” made during the Sunderland clash. For the Villa boss, the focus remains on securing a return to the Champions League, a goal that looks increasingly attainable with a firing Watkins leading the line.What This Means for Villa
Sitting comfortably in the European spots, Villa is finding its second wind at the perfect time. With Watkins chasing more records and the squad fully bought into “the process,” the skeptics who were vocal just weeks ago have been effectively silenced.
