Anthony Onifade

Tue 18 July 2023 12:05, UK

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins will be looking to reach new heights all-round next season, but that can only be achieved with more quality help in attack.

It was indeed an excellent campaign for Watkins, especially under the guidance of Unai Emery who played a part in his stunning purple patch that saw him score 11 goals from 12 Premier League games from January to mid-April drawing praise from Jamie Carragher who dubbed him “unstoppable” at the time.

And it was the strange tactical shifts from his new boss in the West Midlands that led to his stunning form with Unai Emery urging his star man to play more centrally since his arrival at Villa Park.

However, the Villa Park fan favourite went off the boil afterwards, scoring just once in seven games to close out the campaign, while his English counterparts Harry Kane and Callum Wilson were scoring goals for fun.

Such a downward spiral in form will have certainly proven the fatal factor in Gareth Southgate’s decision-making for England’s recent June internationals of which Watkins wasn’t included.

More crucially, though, his drop in form will have given Emery some cause for concern and plenty to think about as Aston Villa plan ahead for next season, with European football also to contend with.

There’s a case to argue that Watkins’ form may have tailed off as a result of a lack of competition for his position, with the 27-year-old potentially becoming a little too comfortable in his guaranteed starting role.

Alternatively, the former Brentford man was not helped by the lack of quality in the attack around him with the likes of Emi Buendia, and Leon Bailey not maintaining the same consistent levels as Jacob Ramsey.

And Emery will be looking to correct during the summer transfer window as he desperately looks to bolster his attacking weaponry, and a player capable of providing goals and as well as scoring them must be high on his agenda.

It’s clear Watkins needs more help in attack, a player or two who can maintain consistent performance levels and contributions throughout the season and if Emery can attract such elite names like he has done in Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres, then Aston Villa and their star striker Watkins could well be on the way to hitting huge heights next season.

According to the Opta-powered stats on FBREF, Watkins is in the 96th percentile of European strikers for the percentage of his shots that were on target last season (53.6%), while he also sat in the top 15% of forwards for expected goals per shot taken (0.18 per 90).

The England international has been hitting the right notes, staying in position to score and shooting on target.

What is also interesting is the decrease in distance away from the goal that Watkins has been taking his shots since his arrival.

Often the former Brentford man has been criticised for doing too much of the dirty work and not getting in the right positions to score, with his average shot distance at 13.70 yards in the 2020/21 season, 13.60 in 2021/22. However, this significantly improved last term at a far lower average of 12.60 yards from goal.

Watkins stepped up his goalscoring output to 15 goals last season in the Premier League, and it feels like he has the potential to break the 20-goal barrier with the right sources of creativity around him.

The Villans have already been linked with a stellar name who could aim him in that quest, in Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, with Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg (18 July) reporting that the German outfit are expecting a third bid from Aston Villa who are “pushing” for the Frenchman’s signature.

And it’s evidently clear why the Villans are pushing with this ambitious move, with the 24-year-old in inspired form for Bayer Leverkusen last season, registering 14 goals and 11 assists from 48 appearances across all competitions, and he’s is also a master craftsman in the final third, successfully recording 143 shot-creating actions in 2022/23, as per FBRef.

Those are the kind of attacking returns Emery will be desperate for, to ensure his attack next season is firing on all cylinders throughout the whole campaign. One man in more need of that help than most is indeed Watkins.

In other Aston Villa news, Ty Bracey has shared a big prediction ahead of next season.