Ollie Watkins’ brilliant first season at Aston Villa continued this week as he was rewarded with a place in the England squad for their upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Watkins reached 10 Premier League goals by grabbing the decisive strike as Dean Smith’s side overcame Arsenal at Villa Park in February, with his tally currently standing at 12 from 30 appearances in all competitions.
Take a look at some of his numbers from the 2020/21 season so far…
10
When Watkins reached double figures at the start of February, it was the speed at which he did so that caught the attention.
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Villa’s 1-0 win over Arsenal was his 21st Premier League appearance, meaning that he reached the 10-goal mark faster than he did in League Two with Exeter City and the Championship with Brentford.
It took him 32 games to reach the mark in League Two and 34 games in the second tier, although it is worth mentioning that he spent plenty of minutes out wide during his time in the EFL.
32
Watkins has recorded three assists in the Premier League, with his willingness to link-up with his teammates impressive during his first campaign in the top-flight.
Harry Kane (39) – the league’s assist leader with 13 – is the only striker to create more chances than Watkins, who has laid on 32 key passes for his teammates in total.
2,430
Until recent weeks, Villa boss Smith had been able to select a settled side, with five players present for every league single minute before the turn of the year.
Injury and suspension have reduced that list to two, with Watkins alongside Emi Martínez as the only two Villa players to play all 2,430 minutes in the Premier League so far this term.
4
Watkins struck an understanding with Jack Grealish immediately following his arrival at Villa Park, with the duo wreaking havoc upon their opposition throughout the campaign.
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The Villa captain has provided the assist for four of Watkins’ league goals so far in 2020/21, which is the third most productive combination in the division, behind Heung Min-Son to Kane (5) and Kane to Son (9).
24
Anyone who has watched Villa for extended periods throughout the season will recognise Watkins’ willingness to work for the team and chase every ball for 90 minutes.
Smith has often hailed his striker as the first line of defence for his team and the numbers back that up, with Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (26) the only striker to win more tackles in the league than Watkins (24) this term.
108
Another aspect of Watkins’ game that might fly under the radar is his ability in the air.
Three of his 10 Premier League goals have been scored with his head, while he has won 108 aerial duels in his 27 appearances during 2020/21 so far.
He is one of only five top-flight strikers to win 100+ aerial duels during this campaign so far, with only Burnley’s Chris Wood (110), Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (110) and Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke (109) ahead of him.
7
As Watkins discussed in his recent interview with VillaTV, luck hasn’t always been on his side during his debut season in the Premier League.
He has struck the woodwork seven times, which is more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues (Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A).