In Better Form Than Kane - Why Watkins Is No Longer Being 'written Off'

ByJess Anderson

BBC Sport journalist

Two months agone Ollie Watkins was successful a unsmooth patch.

Out of form, struggling for goals and near retired of Thomas Tuchel's England squad for nan March world break, his chances of playing for nan Three Lions astatine this summer's World Cup looked successful superior doubt.

But, 1 period retired from nan tourney successful North America, nan striker has rediscovered his stride and his existent shape surely makes it difficult for him to beryllium near retired of Tuchel's World Cup squad.

Watkins' latest exploits, 2 goals successful a 4-2 thrashing of Liverpool arsenic Aston Villa booked their spot successful adjacent year's Champions League, make him nan existent astir in-form English striker. Even up of Harry Kane.

"I wish he was Scottish!" said Villa skipper John McGinn.

"He was evidently disappointed successful March but if it gave him a footwear up nan backside and he's surely responded successful nan champion way.

"We're truthful fortunate to person him, what he's done for this nine nan past fewer seasons has been incredible. I deliberation he whitethorn person conscionable snuck his measurement onto that plane."

Watkins has scored 12 Premier League goals this play - not his top output successful a Villa garment - but 9 of those person travel since he was near retired of nan March world camp.

Across each competitions, that number goes up to 11 - Kane has scored 10 successful nan aforesaid play - pinch his shape extending to Villa's tally to nan Europa League final.

His omission from that England squad has lit a occurrence successful Watkins that possibly would not person been location had he been included.

"I had a slow commencement to nan season, picking up a fewer niggles connected world work and past being near retired of nan England squad," he said.

"I deliberation it gave maine that occurrence successful my belly to travel backmost and beryllium to group what I tin do. A batch of group had written maine disconnected this play and I usage that arsenic information to show them that I tin beryllium backmost to my champion - scoring and helping nan team."

Against Liverpool, he was unplayable astatine times arsenic he continuously took advantage of their precocious statement and recovered nan abstraction to tally successful behind.

He expressed disappointment aft nan triumph astatine not adding to his two-goal tally having had 1 extremity chalked disconnected for offside but his changeless desire to get into goalscoring positions near nan Reds faltering.

The icing connected nan barroom for Watkins would beryllium a capacity for illustration this 1 against against Freiburg successful Istanbul connected Wednesday, wherever Villa will look to triumph their first awesome trophy successful 30 years.

Since nan past world break, nary subordinate has scored much Premier League goals than Watkins' nine.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland is 2nd connected that database pinch seven, while Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is nan adjacent champion English subordinate connected five.

But, while Watkins whitethorn good beryllium arguably England's astir in-form striker heading into nan World Cup, realistically nan spot everyone is vying for is nan number 1 back-up position to skipper Kane.

Ivan Toney has been successful prolific shape each play for Al-Ahli but playing successful nan Saudi Pro League intends his numbers are difficult to straight comparison pinch nan different contenders.

Of nan rest, Watkins' 19 goals successful each competitions puts him 5 up of some Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who returned to nan England fold aft a five-year exile successful March, and Danny Welbeck, whose past headdress was successful 2018.

"He's sewage to beryllium connected nan plane," erstwhile Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie said connected Sky Sports erstwhile asked astir Watkins' chances of being included this summer. "Since being near retired we've conscionable seen a monolithic turning of nan corner.

"He's been relentless successful beforehand of goal, he's shown his capabilities. He's a wholly different subordinate to Harry Kane and gives them thing different."

After a slow commencement to nan play wherever it took six matches for Villa to registry a Premier League win, their run could extremity successful spectacular style.

The triumph complete Liverpool secured their spot successful adjacent year's Champions League and sends them disconnected to Istanbul for nan Europa League last connected a high.

Villa person not won a awesome trophy since nan EFL Cup successful 1996 while their 1 and only awesome European trophy came successful nan 1982 European Cup.

"To execute it [Champions League] is amazing. We tin now 100% attraction connected nan final," said Emery.

"We said astatine nan commencement of nan play that we wanted to beryllium successful Europe, to beryllium successful nan Champions League.

"To compete successful some competitions and being accordant is not easy, we had awesome play successful nan Premier League. I americium truthful proud."

McGinn said Villa were "slight favourites" for adjacent week's final, but that they needed to "stay focused".

"It's what you dream of erstwhile you're young," he added. "You've sewage to bask it."