Aston Villa v Cardiff City: Ollie Watkins must be axed after what he did
Unai Emery will clearly not be pleased with what he saw Ollie Watkins do in the first half for Aston Villa against Cardiff City.
Villa played host to Cardiff in the fifth round of the FA Cup and the Championship side have put up a good fight in the first 45 minutes.
The hosts have dominated possession but have found it hard to break down a resolute defence from the Welsh side.
Marcus Rashford must lead the line in the second half against Cardiff City
It’s clear to see that Watkins appears to be exhausted after the recent run of games and his groin/pelvic injury.
With Club Brugge in the Champions League coming up, it makes sense to give the England international the second half off.
Per Sofascore, the 29-year-old has already missed two big chances and that may come back to haunt his side with the score 0-0.
He’s also completed just four passes with an abysmal accuracy of 67 per cent – showcasing he’s struggled to even get involved in the build up.
Watkins has lost possession four times and had another glorious chance to score in the 44th minute but he failed to test Ethan Horvath.
Usually so good at winning duels, the Villa striker lost 66 per cent of his attempts – with a zero per cent success rate in his aerial duels.
| Stats v Cardiff City | Ollie Watkins |
| Shots | 2 |
| Big chances missed | 2 |
| Pass accuracy | 67% |
| Touches | 12 |
| Offsides | 1 |
Marcus Rashford, who has started the game on the left, is capable of playing down the middle and could play instead of Watkins.
This could see Morgan Rogers coming off the bench and looking to make things happen in the final third.
Alternatively, Emery may even turn to Jacob Ramsey to add a bit of creativity to the Villa side.
Aston Villa have to come back strong in the second half
It’s important Emery has a harsh talk with his players at the break as it’s not been an impressive performance from his side.
They should not be struggling to break down a side in the Championship, especially when they’ve done so well in the Champions League.
Being goalless at the break is not a good luck and they do not seem to be playing with any authority, which is a huge worry.