Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins concedes that fan criticism is difficult to ignore amid his subdued goal-scoring run this season.
Impressive Past Seasons Set High Bar
Watkins netted 16 goals in the 2022/23 campaign under Unai Emery, followed by 19 Premier League strikes the next season that propelled Villa to fourth place and Champions League qualification. Last term, he added 16 more Premier League goals, cementing his status as the club’s all-time top scorer in the competition.
Current Season Struggles
This season, Watkins has managed only eight goals in 39 appearances across all competitions, with just one assist. This marks a sharp decline from his previous two seasons’ tally of 27 assists and 68 total goal contributions, which elevated supporter expectations.
Watkins Addresses the Pressure
“It’s difficult now, the expectation is a lot higher,” Watkins stated in a recent interview. “The previous seasons, I’ve scored a lot of goals. The season where we got to the Champions League, I scored 28 goals, so the expectation from there, you’ve set your benchmark and then people will judge you on that. So if you’re not doing that then it’s all eyes on you.”
He continued: “Where we are as a club as well, the elevation of the club has only gone up, and there’s a lot more fans that you see out and voice their opinion – sometimes it’s hard not to notice them. In the modern day, that’s what you have to deal with.”
Watkins emphasized his commitment: “I work hard every day, try to improve, sometimes it might be your day, sometimes it won’t but you’ve just got to keep plugging away. I know the manager backs me and that’s all that matters.”
New Competition Boosts Squad Depth
Villa bolstered their attack by signing Tammy Abraham for £18 million in January to replace Donyell Malen and increase competition for Watkins.
Watkins views the addition positively: “I don’t ever see it as, ‘Oh, Tammy’s come in and I’m threatened’ – I don’t see that. I think it’s good in helping the team, and it gets the best out of you.”
He added: “When Marcus (Rashford) came in last season, I was excited just to see [him] because I know how good a player he is. Just to try and take stuff from his game, improve as well, and I know he’s going to help the team, so as long as we’re improving collectively, then I’m happy. Hopefully we [Abraham] can play up front together, but if not then it’s down to the manager.”
