Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expressed his optimism that Ollie Watkins can build on his recent goal-scoring performance after ending an 11-game drought in a thrilling 4-3 victory against Brighton. The win, which saw Villa climb to third in the Premier League, was achieved after they overturned a two-goal deficit at the Amex Stadium.
Watkins' brace in the first half against Brighton was crucial in turning the game around. Before this match, Watkins had only scored once in 19 appearances this season. His goals against Brighton marked his eighth and ninth career goals against the Seagulls. Amadou Onana and substitute Donyell Malen also contributed to Villa's scoreline, while Jan Paul van Hecke scored twice for Brighton.
Emery emphasized the importance of Watkins' work ethic and focus, stating that he has full confidence in the player. He acknowledged that a lack of scoring can sometimes affect a player's confidence but hopes Watkins can now find a balance between his efforts and achieving результативність.
Villa faced a late setback before the game when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was injured during the warm-up. Marco Bizot, the replacement goalkeeper, initially made an error that led to Brighton's opening goal. However, he redeemed himself with a crucial save in added time, denying Danny Welbeck's header. Emery praised Bizot's professionalism and readiness, highlighting his vital contribution to securing the win. Emery said Martinez felt a block in his back and couldn't warm up normally.
The Aston Villa boss also spoke on the importance of the team scoring goals in different ways. He said that the team needs to be clinical and create chances to dominate matches. He added that the team is doing fantastic but they still need to improve in different ways to score goals, not just through strikers but also wingers, midfielders and centre backs.
The victory was Aston Villa's eighth in their last nine Premier League matches and inflicted Brighton's first home defeat of the season. Brighton had previously been unbeaten in their last 10 home games since losing to Villa in early April.
