Ollie Watkins now number one in Premier League after Aston Villa win vs Nottingham Forest
Ollie Watkins was once again unstoppable during Aston Villa’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Villa’s win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park has put pressure on Arsenal and Man City, and the Villans’ Premier League title hopes are still alive under Unai Emery.
As an uneventful first half came to a close, Watkins scored a brilliant long-range strike to give Villa the lead in stoppage time.
After the break, John McGinn’s brace came either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s chip to ensure the Villans moved up to second place in the table.
Watkins’s sensational brace against Chelsea ensured Villa won for an 11th game in a row, and after scoring a consolation goal in Tuesday’s defeat to Arsenal, he is definitely rediscovering his best form in front of goal.
Ollie Watkins leads Premier League for goals scored since December
Watkins struggled for goals at the start of the season, having scored just once in his first 13 Premier League matches.
Against Forest, he produced a real moment of quality at a crucial time to put Villa in the driving seat.
With six goals since the start of December, no player has more Premier League goals than Watkins in that time period.
That goal was Watkins’ 82nd Premier League goal for Aston Villa, and just his second from outside the area (the other was against Chelsea in April 2023).
| Stat | Watkins |
| Minutes played | 83 |
| Expected goals | 0.64 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Touches in opposition box | 7 |
Since the start of last season, no Premier League duo has combined for more goals than Watkins and Morgan Rogers (10).
According to FotMob, Watkins won 100 per cent of his aerial duels, and 100 per cent of his shots were on target.
After calls were made for Donyell Malen to start in his place during October and November, Watkins has proven all the doubters wrong in some style.
McGinn eventually put the game beyond doubt and ensured that Villa won their 11th consecutive match at Villa Park.
John McGinn’s contributions shouldn’t go unnoticed
McGinn scored a Premier League brace for the very first time against Forest, while it was just his second double in 311 appearances in all competitions for Villa.
Since joining Villa in 2018, McGinn has been instrumental in taking the team from the Championship to the Champions League.
Having transitioned to a wide position this season, his qualities as a central midfielder make him an unorthodox winger.
Against Forest, he had a pass accuracy of 80 per cent and had 62 touches on the right wing.
He has become a modern-day legend for Aston Villa, and has turned into one of Emery’s most useful weapons.
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