Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Mon 20 April 2026 11:10, UK

Ollie Watkins made it six seasons in a row of scoring more than 10 goals in a Premier League campaign after his brace for Aston Villa in a 4-3 thriller against Sunderland.

By his high standards in recent seasons, this has been Watkins’ worst campaign for quite some time, with question marks mounting over the striker’s form and future.

However, six goals in his last five games across all competitions have helped Villa move into the Europa League semi-finals and cement their place in the Premier League’s top four.

Watkins scored twice and bagged an assist as Villa withstood a ferocious Sunderland comeback at Villa Park on Sunday to win a seven-goal epic.

And after missing out on the latest England squad, Watkins’ form for Villa is putting him back into the conversation ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Ollie Watkins’ timely return to form

Last week, Watkins made a telling admission.

He said, “The toughest moment for me has probably been, throughout my career, I would say this season. That goal after the Euros, I think there’s more eyes on you then, and then this year I haven’t been at the level I wanted to, so to learn to deal with that is hard.”

Watkins was left out of the Three Lions squad for the March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, with the likes of Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin preferred.

However, he has now scored more than both of them this season amid a timely hot streak for himself and Villa.

His double against Sunderland took him to double figures for the season again in the Premier League, which is the sixth time this has happened to him at Villa.

Only Liverpool great Sadio Mane (eight) has done this more in the competition’s history.

Thomas Tuchel was perhaps justified in dropping Watkins from the England squad.

But at this rate, the 30-year-old is on course to prove the German wrong. Or perhaps the ex-Chelsea boss did this to try and light a fire in Watkins’ belly. Either way, it is working.

Aston Villa receive double boost

Not only is Watkins back scoring and looking a threat again in front of goal as Villa aim to win the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League.

But teammate Morgan Rogers is finding form again after bagging four goal contributions in his last three Villa matches.

Villa survived a huge scare against Sunderland, with Tammy Abraham scoring a stoppage-time winner, shortly after Emi Martinez made a crucial one-on-one save against Habib Diarra.

Unai Emery‘s side missed out on Champions League qualification last season by the narrowest of margins, but currently they sit fourth and are 10 points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea.

This could be a history-making season for Villa as they eye European glory and more.