Unai Emery axes Ollie Watkins in three changes – Aston Villa predicted XI vs Wolves
Unai Emery will surely replace Ollie Watkins with Tammy Abraham in Aston Villa’s starting line-up against Wolves at Molineux on Friday.
Villa’s 1-1 draw with Leeds at Villa Park last Saturday was a glaring indication that Unai Emery’s side are lacking firepower in the final third, and that can be easily fixed.
Watkins has had a fairly poor season by his standards, scoring eight times in 26 top-flight matches.
The Sofascore graphic below shows how poor Watkins was against Leeds, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he were to drop down to the bench as part of the three changes that Emery makes.
Ollie Watkins dropped for Tammy Abraham among three changes
Tammy Abraham has been brilliant since joining in the winter transfer window, scoring two goals in Villa’s last two games.
For far too long now, Watkins has had no real competition at Villa, meaning that he effectively starts every game he is fit for.
It’s clear that the England international has been phenomenal for Villa over the years, but it’s not quite clicking for him at the moment.
| Stat | Watkins |
| Appearances | 262 |
| Goals | 95 |
| Assists | 42 |
According to Sofascore, the 30-year-old has won only 39 per cent of his aerial duels, and it’s clear that Abraham would offer much more of a physical threat up front.
Tyrone Mings was poor against Leeds, and Pau Torres has to come into the side to add extra creativity from defence.
The final change would see Jadon Sancho replace Leon Bailey, as the English winger has proven his worth with impressive cameos in recent weeks.
Villa have 11 Premier League games left to play this season, and the signing of Abraham could prove to be crucial in Villa’s bid to secure Champions League football.
Tammy Abraham’s fantastic record vs Wolves, including Chelsea hat-trick
The Villans have made several questionable signings in the final third, with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Evann Guessand failing to impress.
However, Abraham’s return to B6 could not have gone any better.
He has also scored more goals against Wolves than any other opponent in English league football (six).
Abraham netted a hat-trick in his first Premier League game against them with Chelsea in September 2019, and he’ll definitely relish the prospect of adding to that tally at Molineux on Friday.
As for Watkins, he may have to accept a place on the bench for the time being, but there are no doubts on his ability to influence Friday’s match as a substitute.
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