Ollie Watkins played a pivotal role with a goal and two assists as Aston Villa convincingly defeated Sheffield United 5-0 at Bramall Lane, propelling them to fourth place in the Premier League standings. Under the management of Unai Emery, Villa secured their second win in six league games, tying with third-placed Arsenal on 46 points (although Arsenal have a game in hand). Second-placed Manchester City also have 46 points but with two games in hand.
Reflecting on the game, Watkins emphasised Villa's approach of winning second balls and fighting for every opportunity, crediting their strong start for building a comfortable lead in the first half. The bottom-placed Sheffield United, with 59 goals conceded, the highest at this stage of the season, continue to struggle with 10 points, sitting 10 points below the safety zone.
“We came into the game with the mindset that we had to win second balls and fight for everything and then let our football to do the talking. We had a good start and I think we killed them off in the first half. And that gave us a bit of comfort,” Watkins told Sky Sports.
John McGinn started Villa's dominance with a goal in the 12th minute, tapping in a rebound from Watkins' shot off the post. Watkins, Leon Bailey, and Youri Tielemans added to the misery, securing a commanding 4-0 lead for Villa at halftime. Hundreds of United fans had already left when Alex Moreno capitalised on careless defending after the restart, sealing the 5-0 victory.
'We Were Feeling Stronger'
Villa's Emery praised the team's focus, aggression, and ability to react, highlighting the difficulty of winning away. "We reacted very well after the match we played on Tuesday [3-1 home defeat to Newcastle]. We were focused. We controlled the game and were clinical. We were feeling comfortable and stronger,” said Emery as quoted by Sky Sports.