Unai Emery could make ‘shock’ Ollie Watkins decision in Aston Villa game v Man City
Unai Emery has a big decision to make ahead of Aston Villa’s crucial clash against Man City in the race for Champions League football.
A sensational run of form has put Villa back into the Champions League race ahead of the final five matches.
After the club’s 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in February, it looked like the Villans were set to miss out on Europe’s most prestigious cup competition.
However, Emery’s men now have every chance of finishing in the top five as they sit seventh, one point off the promised land.
Now, on the eve of one of their biggest games of the season, Emery must make a bold decision in order to come away with all three points.
Emery must drop Watkins against Man City
While it would have been unthinkable a year ago, Watkins is no longer the main man at Villa.
The England international has often been left out of the starting XI in 2025 in favour of Marcus Rashford.
After being left on the bench again against PSG, Watkins revealed his fury after the Newcastle victory in a revealing interview.
However, despite finding the back of the net against the Magpies on Saturday, Emery must instead look to start Rashford on Tuesday.
The Man United loanee was excellent against PSG last week and, with Aston Villa likely to have less of the ball, the game will suit Rashford more than Watkins.
| Rashford in the 3-2 win against PSG | Stats |
| Shots | 2 |
| Pass successions | 73 |
| Dribbles | 4 |
| Aerials won | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Rating | 8.77 |
This would be a very bold move by Emery as it would suggest that Rashford is now seen as the main striker at the club.
It could also push Watkins closer to an Aston Villa exit, which is something that has been rumoured for a long time.
Rashford is the future of Aston Villa
Unfortunately for Watkins, Rashford is the future of Aston Villa. The striker has been sensational since he joined the club in January and has already found the net three times.
As a result, Rashford looks extremely likely to join the club permanently in the summer and become a key asset to the club.
Given the recent speculation regarding Watkins and that Rashford is two years younger, Emery likely sees him as a long-term solution to his squad.
Only time will tell, but a big indication will be if Emery chooses to start Rashford or Watkins against Man City.