Aston Villa fans will love Tom Hanks’ reaction to Ollie Watkins goal against Arsenal

Tom Hanks made a shock visit to Villa Park this afternoon (18 February) to watch his beloved Aston Villa take on Arsenal.

The Hollywood legend, who previously revealed he began supporting Villa after he heard the club’s name read out on English television, watched Unai Emery’s men fall to a 4-2 defeat against league leaders Arsenal in what was a highly dramatic fixture at Villa Park.

The two time Oscar-winner was even spotted talking to the officials on the side of the pitch before the game and met the Villa players in the dressing room prior to kick-off.

Villa went in at half-time 2-1 to the good thanks to goals from Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho. Despite a spirited second half performance, Villa conceded a gutting last minute goal to go 3-2 behind before Gabriel Martinelli added a fourth goal for the Gunners to steal all three points late on.

It was a highly energetic performance from the home side, and Hanks seemed to love the electric atmosphere at Villa Park in the first half. He was seen looking slightly shocked and excited when Villa took an early lead through Watkins’ goal after just five minutes, as you can see in the BT Sport video below.

Why does Tom Hanks support Aston Villa?

Villa have some very famous supporters, including Prince William of course, although Hanks may be their most famous fan.

Since 1984, Hanks has been a fan of the Villa. He previously revealed that the name of the club is the key reason for supporting the West Midlands side.

Revealing he had listened to football scores being read out on television, speaking to James Cordon during a chat show, he said: “I said, ‘Aston Villa - what a lovely vacation spot?’”

“It turns out it’s in Birmingham - there’s nothing wrong with that? It’s not a town for the lighthearted. I’m a dedicated Aston Villa fan. I’ve seen them play once in the United States - a friendly against Portland.”