Ollie Watkins has delivered a powerful message after Villa’s Champions League-confirming 4-2 victory over Liverpool “People wrote me off and I used that as motivation.”
- Watkins has been directly involved in more goals than any other Englishman across all competitions this season: 24 in total
- Nine of his last 12 goals have come since being left out of England’s squad at the last international break
- The 30-year-old praised his connection with Rogers “we’re telepathic at times”
- He described Champions League qualification as “an amazing achievement” after Villa’s disastrous start
“People wrote me off I used that as motivation”
The story of Ollie Watkins’ 2025-26 season is one of the most compelling individual narratives in the entire Premier League. A slow start.
A series of niggles picked up on international duty, painful England omission from Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad. And then a volcanic response that has produced some of the most decisive and impressive performances of his entire Villa career.
“I had a slow start to the season, picking up a few niggles on international duty and then being left out of the England squad,” Watkins told Sky Sports after Friday’s victory.
“I think it gave me that fire in my belly to come back and prove to people what I can do. A lot of people had written me off this season, and I use that as motivation to show them I can be back to my best.”
Nine of his last 12 goals have arrived since that omission. The statistics tell the story more eloquently than any words could.
His broader reflection on Villa’s season captured the full emotional journey, from the desperate early weeks to Friday’s Champions League confirmation.
“An amazing achievement. What we have done this season after the start we had; a poor start where we hardly scored and didn’t win for six games, there was a lot of doubt and negativity. We’ve turned it around with some big performances. Amazing to play in the Champions League: the competition that everyone is striving to play in.”
Liverpool’s nemesis – Understanding the tactical battle
Watkins was unusually specific and analytical when discussing his performance against Liverpool, revealing a tactical awareness that underpins his extraordinary record against Arne Slot’s side.
“Liverpool play a high line and don’t play offside, so they’re disjointed at the back and there’s a lot of space for me to run into,” he explained. “No disrespect to them, the centre-backs are world class, but I spot space and opportunities. I like to run in behind.”
That honest and intelligent assessment explains why Van Dijk one of the finest defenders in world football: consistently finds Watkins one of the most difficult opponents he faces.
The specific combination of pace, movement, and positional intelligence that Watkins deploys against Liverpool’s high line creates problems that even Van Dijk cannot consistently resolve.
His goal on Friday: a tap-in following a VAR check for offside arrived with characteristic composure.
“Just before the goal I went offside, they play such a high line, I shouldn’t be in that position. But to grab the goal a minute later, me and Morgan have a great connection. Buzzing Pau Torres missed that offside flag. It’s horrible when it goes to VAR but you can’t ask for anything more as a striker with a little tap-in there.”
The Rogers connection – “Telepathic at times”
Watkins’ tribute to Morgan Rogers was equally revealing, and entirely consistent with what supporters have observed throughout the season. The understanding between the two players has been one of the defining partnerships of Villa’s entire campaign.
“Me and Morgan have a great connection,” Watkins stated simply. “Telepathic at times.” That one-word description captures something that statistics and analysis cannot fully quantify, an instinctive mutual understanding developed through shared experiences across two extraordinary seasons together.
Rogers and Watkins are now the two most productive English players across all competitions in the Premier League this season. Watkins leads with 24 goal involvements: 19 goals and five assists. Rogers follows with 23, 13 goals and ten assists. That combined output has been the foundation of everything Villa have achieved in 2025-26.
Istanbul – “We’ll leave it all on the pitch”
Watkins’ final message was typically direct and forward-looking. The Europa League final against Freiburg on Wednesday 20 May is now five days away and the 30-year-old showed no intention of dwelling on Friday’s achievement beyond its immediate significance.
“Being in the Europa League final is an amazing achievement. Excitement around the club, everyone is buzzing. We’ll leave it all on the pitch on Wednesday.” That combination, genuine celebration of Champions League confirmation alongside immediate refocus on Istanbul, perfectly mirrors Emery’s own philosophy of never accepting half-completed objectives.
ReadAstonVilla Verdict
Watkins has answered every single critic this season with goals, performances, and moments of genuine brilliance. His England snub lit a fire that has produced one of the most productive individual spells of his entire career.
Friday’s display against Liverpool, described by pundits as a “masterclass” against Van Dijk, makes the case for his World Cup inclusion absolutely unanswerable. Tuchel must take him to North America. And on Wednesday in Istanbul, Watkins must be the man who ends Villa’s 30-year trophy wait.
