Aston Villa strikers Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa strikers Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins (Image: Getty Images)
Ollie Watkins has been given reassurances over his role at Aston Villa after Jhon Duran started the club's last three matches and has bagged in four successive appearances.
Watkins suffered a small injury in the first half of Villa's Champions League match with RB Leipzig earlier this month, which was his last start, opening the door for Duran to impress. He did so by scoring a stunner at the Red Bull Arena, before then bagging against Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Man City last time out.
Only Chris Wood (five) has scored more winning goals in the Premier League this season than the four Duran has managed so far this term, while the Colombian has the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the competition this term, scoring a goal every 80 minutes. Ahead of Villa's Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, Emery was asked about the dynamic between Watkins and Duran.
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"I spoke with him (Watkins) about the important player he is in the squad, sometimes playing and playing and playing or sometimes not playing, like in the last matches for different circumstances," Emery explained. "One of those is because Jhon Duran is progressing and increasing his demand in our task every match.
“Collectively as well I need from the players tactical work. He (Duran) is understanding, improving, increasing his commitment to do the work we need. Of course, Ollie Watkins is always doing it. Now my challenge is to try and get the best of them individually and hopefully I can play with both being successful and getting the tactical idea we have.”
Emery added: "We need the players to be competitive but also honest and respectful. Watkins I think is always 100 per cent honest. His commitment is fantastic, he is always doing his work for the team and then individually with the target he has.
"He told it, he started the season a little bit late because he was with the national team. He also had a little bit of pain in that moment and was not getting his form like we needed it. We were also introducing Duran and he helped us a lot. Then progressively Watkins was feeling better and now I think he is good.
"Of course, he had a small problem in Leipzig and that is one of the circumstances of which I was speaking about why he did not play the second half there and why he did not start against Nottingham Forest. Duran is performing well and of course he is deserving to keep playing."
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