View: Aston Villa fans will hope best of Tyrone Mings & Ollie Watkins return after England masterclass

Both players started for England in Tuesday night’s friendly, with Watkins earning a place in the

starting 11 for the first time.

And it was a night to remember for the two, as the duo netted their second goals for the Three

Lions.

Watkins converted from close range to open the scoring on 30 minutes after fine work from Raheem

Sterling put the ball on a plate for the Villa striker.

He then played a hand in England’s second of the night, linking up with the stand-in captain once

again in the build-up to Sterling’s goal.

A late header from Mings added some gloss to England’s victory, as he connected with Phil Foden’s

corner in the final minute of second-half stoppage time.

Tyrone Mings has been somewhat of a polarising figure among Villa fans in recent times, criticised

for the clumsy errors which can colour his overall performance.

But for England, Mings has been a picture of consistency. Southgate’s team have kept an impressive

14 clean sheets in the 17 games in which Mings has appeared, conceding just four goals.

By Watkins’ own admission, his recent performances in claret and blue have been inconsistent at

best, and the striker is enjoying a less fruitful season in front of goal than in his first year with the

club.

Watkins has just seven goals this term in 26 Premier League games after scoring 14 times in the

2020/21 season. Beyond that, his general play and ability to link with his teammates has also left

much to be desired.

However, last night’s performance was much more encouraging and Villa fans will hope it is a sign

Watkins could soon be back to his best.