Everything Wayne Rooney said about Ollie Watkins after Aston Villa heroics vs Chelsea, he wants more
Wayne Rooney still wants more from Ollie Watkins after his double sank Chelsea.
In what was always going to be another major test for Unai Emery‘s team, Villa ran out 2-1 winners at Stamford Bridge in another night to remember.
With Villa having beaten Manchester United in the game before to extend their superb winning run, a lot of the talk in recent days has been around the form of Watkins.
The soon-to-be turning 30 striker had only netted three Premier League goals ahead of the clash with Chelsea, leaving many questioning whether Watkins was past his best.
That has now been left in the past, or so we thought it had.
Wayne Rooney drops Ollie Watkins claim after Chelsea show
However, he may well have firmly silenced those doubters, as it was Watkins’ double that saw Aston Villa beat Chelsea 2-1, coming from behind to seal another vital three points in the Premier League title race.
Watkins came off the bench just before the hour mark of the game, in what proved to be another inspired piece of game management and decision-making from Emery.
But, speaking on Match of the Day, Rooney was keen to stress the importance of this being the real start of Watkins’ season for Villa, as they are going to need him if they are to take this title fight all the way to the final round.
When asked whether Watkins has now given Emery a team selection dilemma heading into their monumental meeting with Arsenal on Tuesday, Rooney said: “He does.
“I think we need to see more from him this season, because he has started games and he hasn’t scored goals.
“But he’s on the bench today, and he’s answered his manager in the right way. He’s scored two goals and won Aston Villa the game.”
- Read more: Jamie Redknapp slams Aston Villa star who ‘got involved in two fights’ in incident vs Chelsea
A firing Ollie Watkins could make all the difference for Aston Villa
He’s had a uniquely quiet season so far, but Watkins has shown that he could still have plenty to say for Aston Villa and in the title race this term.
Watkins hasn’t failed to hit any less than 15 league goals over the last three seasons, and with five now to his name so far in 2025-26, you feel that another 10 in the second half of the campaign could make all the difference.
As Morgan Rogers continues to play out of his skin, being able to partner him up with a back-to-his-best Watkins could prove deadly, and potentially even enough to tip the title odds in Villa’s favour.
- Watkins is currently averaging 0.34 goals per 90 minutes in the PL this season
- He’s also averaging just 2.27 shots per 90, which ranks him in the bottom 36.4th percentile of PL strikers – per FotMob
- Watkins is now Villa’s second top scorer with five, two behind Rogers’ seven
So, this Chelsea performance has to be the catalyst to truly kickstart Watkins’ campaign, as he won’t just have a title race with Aston Villa on his mind, as he also looks to cement his place in England’s 2026 World Cup squad next summer.
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