Ex-Aston Villa striker says club can take PL title race by storm if one major boost is unlocked

Aston Villa are only three points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table. They are sat in 3rd position after their 2-1 win over the Gunners last time out. Matty Cash and Emi Buendia got their goals against the league leaders at Villa Park.

Unai Emery’s side have been in fine form over recent times and will want to keep their momentum going for as long as possible. They are back in action on Thursday night with a Europa League away trip to FC Basel. They then head down to London this weekend to play West Ham.

Former Aston Villa striker Chris Sutton drops Premier League title verdict

Ex-Aston Villa man Chris Sutton believes his former club can compete for the title this season if Ollie Watkins can start firing in the goals. The striker has struggled for form in this campaign and hasn’t been as prolific as he has been over recent years. He has scored just three goals.

Sutton has delivered his verdict, as per BBC Sport: “They are in a title race, alright, they had an iffy start to the season. They have beaten Man City, they have beaten Arsenal, they are there by right.

“Alright I agree, do they have a deep enough squad? But the other thing is Ollie Watkins hasn’t really gotten going for them. If he starts to really hit the heights, which he is capable of, they could go up even another level.”

He added: “I think you can’t be anything other than impressed by Unai Emery’s team. They are very principled in the way they play. While football has changed this year to being more of a set-piece game and Arsenal are more direct, Unai Emery just carries on playing the way they have always played. They provoke the press, they will play out from the back, through the thirds – they are a great watch.”

Meanwhile, Conor Coady said: “I think they have got more gears to go through, they are an outstanding football team. I love him as a football manager, I think he is absolutely brilliant, I really do. I think they are in a title race. Will they win it? I think it’s going to be really, really tough. But they are in a title race.”

Can Ollie Watkins start scoring more goals for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa have had to be patient with Watkins this term. They will be hoping he can start bagging more over the coming weeks. He has been with his current club since joining them back in 2020 and he has been their main man up top for the last five years.

Watkins, who has made 20 caps for the England national team, is under contract until June 2028. He has made 244 appearances in all competitions and has scored 90 goals, 17 of which came last season. The Torquay-born man had spells at Exeter City and Brentford before he made the step up to the top flight and he hasn’t looked back since.

Aston Villa will be full of confidence as they prepare to take on FC Basel and West Ham. Watkins has the opportunity to boost his goal tally this week. He doesn’t have too much competition for his position in the starting XI which means he is always guaranteed minutes.