View: Ollie Watkins problems clear to see yet again as Aston Villa lose v Liverpool
Aston Villa finally returned to Premier League action after the World Cup with a crash on Boxing Day, losing 3-1 to Liverpool at Villa Park.
Goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic were enough for all three points, despite Ollie Watkins cutting the deficit in half with his header.
Unai Emery will be scratching his head over a lot of things in this squad right now, but the final third still remains his biggest issue after numerous games in charge.
Watkins may have got the one goal, but he was an issue throughout.
The Englishman could easily have left with the match ball, but his finishing left far too much to be desired and actually left Alisson with some easy saves.
Starting in the first half, the game started with a clear one on one chance that the striker scuffed his lines with, although his blushes were spared by the offside flag – another issue.
Then came his first valid chance, when John McGinn whipped in a delicious ball to the back post, only to see Watkins somehow not find the back of the net from six yards.
Despite having more than half the goal to aim at, the striker found the Brazilian a welcome customer as he headed the ball straight into his chest.
This becomes even more infuriating when you see the chances he is putting away, with his goal in this one the perfect example of why consistency is so critical.
Compare this header to the one he missed above and it leaves you scratching your head, as he guided the Douglas Luiz cross perfectly into the far corner.
Watkins has had 31 attempts on goal in his 15 games so far this season in the Premier League, and they have led to three goals, which is a shocking conversion rate [WhoScored].
Compare that to Danny Ings, who has five goals from 24 shots and the issue is clear to see, Villa are missing that standout number nine who can take them to next level.
Emery will be watching on ahead of the January transfer window in a matter of days, knowing that he may have to pull the trigger on a new striker – there can be no complaints either.
Putting away your chances is critical against the best, it is often the difference between three and zero points, so something has to be done about this.
In other Aston Villa news, The day Villa went berserk at the Bridge: Eight goals, two penalties, and three sent off in 2007 Boxing Day bonanza