Aston Villa set for Ollie Watkins boost v Wolves as Unai Emery shares new update
Having picked up a win in the opening week of the Champions League, Aston Villa will be eager to carry their momentum into the Midlands clash with Wolves.
Unai Emery’s Villans welcome Gary O’Neil’s side to Molineux on Saturday (21 September) fresh off of the back of their impressive 3-0 demolition of Young Boys in the Champions League.
While the toll of European football may well have taken its toll on Emery’s squad, the Villa boss will have been handed a major boost ahead of Saturday afternoon’s clash after an Ollie Watkins update emerged.
Is Ollie Watkins fit to play Wolves at Villa Park?
Writing on X on Friday (20 September) Birmingham Live’s John Towley said: “Ollie Watkins is ‘100 per cent available’ to play against Wolves on Saturday, despite having his ankle iced on the substitutes bench on Tuesday night, but Unai Emery confirms Jaden Philogene remains sidelined.”
While Philogene’s continued absence is a blow to Emery, it will be a massive bonus to Villa that Watkins is not only able to play against Wolves but lead the line from the off.
The England international showed signs against Young Boys in the Champions League that he was rediscovering his best form, as he picked up an assist and created three goal-scoring chances, according to Fotmob.
On top of that, the forward barely put a foot wrong when he had the ball at his feet as he completed 80 per cent of his attempted passes, including 100 per cent of his long-range efforts.
Although the 28-year-old didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he did manage to have three shots on goal in the match, more than he has managed in three of the four Premier League games so far this season.
Watkins’ biggest issue this term has been the fact that he has repeatedly wasted opportunities when he has found himself in scoring positions, but last year he showed he can be clinical in the final third.
His winning goal in England’s semi-final clash with the Netherlands in the Euros was only the forward’s second shot of the tournament, but he managed to find the net even though the chance had an xG of just 0.10.
Over the course of last season, the striker overperformed his xG by an average of 0.06 every 90 minutes, a figure which places him in the top 28 per cent of Premier League strikers, according to Fbref.
If that figure was extrapolated over a 38-game Premier League campaign, Watkins would ultimately score 2.28 more goals than the xG that he managed to create.
On top of that, the England international’s biggest strength is how he manages to create scoring chances for his teammates.
Last season, the 28-year-old averaged 0.36 assists every 90 minutes, a figure which places him in the 99th percentile of his positional peers in the Premier League.
This isn’t a case of luck on the forward’s behalf either as he sits in the top 15 per cent of Premier League strikers for expected assisted goals created per game, with an average of 0.2.
Will Aston Villa start Jhon Duran of Ollie Watkins v Wolves?
Although it could be argued that Jhon Duran has shown that he is a better finisher this term, he struggles to create chances for his teammates in the manner that Watkins has in the past.
Last term, Duran sat in the 13th percentile of the division’s attackers for expected assisted goals in the Premier League, with a low average of just 0.06 per 90 minutes.
It isn’t yet clear which of the two forwards Emery will start against O’Neil’s side on Saturday, but the Villa boss will have at least been boosted by the fact both players appear to be fit and able to play some part.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery could be handed a new boost after a recent Tyrone Mings update emerged at Villa Park
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