Troy Deeney slams ‘disappointing’ Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins after what he did v Man United
Aston Villa were condemned to their third defeat in all competitions in their last four fixtures, losing 2-1 to Manchester United at Villa Park on Sunday 11 February.
There looked to be a glimmer of hope when Douglas Luiz capitalised on poor defending in the United box, smashing home from six yards out, only for Scott McTominay to score a late winner.
While it was a decent enough performance, that probably should have warranted a point, Villa’s form has dropped drastically, claiming just two Premier League victories in seven attempts.
Ollie Watkins takes dip in form at wrong time for Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins also looks to have taken a nosedive in form, despite a goal and two assists against Sheffield United on 3 February adding to his 16 goals and 12 assists in all competitions this season.
Other than the goal against the Blades, the 28-year-old has only scored two goals in his last 12 starts for the Villans. His confidence looks low.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 on Sunday (11 February), Troy Deeney analysed a poor moment for Watkins against the Red Devils, saying: “Watkins has just missed a chance, he’s screaming for the ball to go to [Moussa] Diaby, but I think his confidence has gone a bit.
“I would expect him to make a driving run so that [Raphael] Varane has to come over, which would allow Luiz an easy shot. But he doesn’t. He ends up just standing there and waiting; it’s a bit disappointing in the end.”
And despite 100 per cent shot accuracy against Erik ten Hag’s side, he was unable to make the net bulge, much to the disappointment of the fans. [FotMob]
Compared to his usual dribbling standards of a 44 per cent completion rate in the Premier League, Watkins was lowered to an inadequate 17 per cent dribbling success and was dispossessed three times. [FotMob]
His impact on the game was subdued largely by Varana and Harry Maguire, with the England striker only managing to win 20 per cent of his ground duels and failing to compete in 100 per cent of his aerial battles.
In other Aston Villa news, one 85% Villa star shone in the recent win against Sheffield United, with Don Goodman dubbing him “electric.”
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