Liverpool legend Graeme Souness insists Ollie Watkins needs to start scoring consistently for Aston Villa to really challenge for the Premier League title
Former Scottish footballer, Graeme Souness
Former Scottish footballer, Graeme Souness(Image: Getty Images)
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Graeme Souness has backed Aston Villa’s performances to reach a higher level if Ollie Watkins can start scoring consistently.
The striker has only netted three times so far this Premier League campaign and went seven matches without a goal before bagging a brace at Brighton earlier this month.
Watkins’ double in the first half at the Amex Stadium helped level the game for Villa, who went on to win 4-3. However, he hasn’t managed to score in the three matches since, against Arsenal, FC Basel, and West Ham.
Villa, who are targeting their 10th consecutive win across all competitions against Manchester United on Sunday, are just three points behind league leaders Arsenal, having beaten them late on a fortnight ago.
Former midfielder Souness, however, believes Manchester City's experience of winning titles will take them far.
“Going to Crystal Palace is not easy and they [Manchester City] turned up and won. City are just coming good at the right time, which is scary for the rest of them,” Souness told Sky Bet.
“Aston Villa are a good team, but when you've won the title and you've won a title a few times, you have unbelievable belief in yourself and the players you're sitting in the dressing room with.
“Arsenal have not got that. City have got that. Villa have not got that. So, City will be full of confidence. They'll be thinking, ‘We'll win this. Someone will bottle it. We'll beat Arsenal when we play them, we'll beat Villa when we play them again, and we'll win the league’.
“That's what they'll be thinking. For Arsenal, they'll be thinking, ‘We've been here before, haven't we? Let's make sure we don't bottle it this time’. And that's a little worm in their head.
“Villa have never been near in recent history, and this is all new to them. But who's to say they can't keep going? They have some really good players. There may be an issue up front for them as well. Ollie Watkins – he [Unai Emery] is obviously not entirely happy with him because he's not been starting him.
“If he gets back scoring goals, then Villa will just go to another level again. You don't have to be playing well if you've got an out-and-out goalscorer who just keeps scoring for you. If that keeps happening, the confidence within the team just grows. Then suddenly you become a formidable outfit.
“So goalscoring is the most important thing you can have at a football club, and that's why strikers cost so much money.”
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