Aston Villa should thrash Everton as Unai Emery recalls 71% Ollie Watkins to XI today
Aston Villa have the chance to go back to second place in the Premier League table when they take on Sean Dyche’s Everton.
Unai Emery’s men head to Goodison Park on Sunday (14 January) for their clash with the Toffees, with Villa currently third in the standings.
Everton meanwhile sit 17th, and will be desperate to pick up a massive three points as they look to edge away from the relegation zone.
But they will be up against it from the very first whistle, particularly now that Emery has decided to recall Ollie Watkins to his starting XI.
The 28-year-old was handed a rest from the start last time out in the FA Cup clash with Middlesbrough, with Watkins playing 20 minutes from the bench in the 1-0 win last Saturday (6 January).
Emery needed to rest many of his star men for that encounter, but now his number one striker has unsurprisingly returned to his familiar role for the clash at Goodison.
It is a worrying sign for the home side, who have conceded six goals in their last two league matches, having lost 3-0 to both Manchester City and Wolves.
Despite being on the pitch for just 20 minutes against Boro, Watkins played an important part in the win, with the England ace winning two of his three duels, completing five of his seven passes (71%) and making one clearance [Sofascore].
Watkins, who has 14 goals and 10 assists this season, comes in for Jhon Duran, with the deputy striker having started against Boro in the third round clash.
And unfortunately for Everton, Watkins is a massive upgrade on the youngster, with Duran making just 10 passes during his 70 minutes on the pitch, having also failed to score from his three shots on target [Sofascore].
Another worry for the home side comes with Villa’s scoring rate this season, with only Manchester City (48) scoring more Premier League goals than Emery’s men (43), as per the official Premier League website.
Watkins certainly has good memories of this fixture, having become the first Aston Villa player to score in five consecutive Premier League matches when he netted a penalty at Goodison Park last year [official Aston Villa website, 26 February 2023].
In other Aston Villa news, Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Villa and Leonardo Spinazzola, with a Roma exit now expected for the player.