Ollie Watkins looked back at memorable victory for Aston Villa and himself against Bologna.
The Villans overcome several shaky phases in Italy to take home a 3-1 win in the first leg of their quarter-final clash with Bologna last Thursday, April 10. A goal threatened to move the momentum massively in favour of the scorers, and the striker slotted away a shot to finish off a fluid 14 passing sequence.
‘It’s an amazing achievement’
It was a memorable moment for the 30-year-old, who is the 12th player in the history of Villa to notch 100 goals. He is also the first to fire home ten strikes in major continental competitions for the club.
Watkins worked his way up the divisions to get the top of the game, and he has watched the growth of this group under Unai Emery. Personally and collectively, it is a story that puts a smile on faces, and a two-legged encounter against Nottingham Forest is the only obstacle to the Europa League final.
*“It’s a lovely feeling, a great milestone to hit. Very privileged to be out here and score so many goals for this club. It’s amazing, a great achievement and one I’ll cherish. I’ve still got friends I was playing with at Weston-Super-Mare and Exeter City, and I’ve come a long way. I just embrace it and try to enjoy it, rather than put pressure on myself. I’ve come a long way, so embrace it and take it in."*
“Last week, we started very slow against [Forest.] The boss was saying, in the first 35 minutes, I don’t think we had a shot or a corner. They put us under a lot of pressure, and it was the opposite tonight. We punished them and I think it was a great performance from us.
*“We take each game as it comes, trust the manager’s gameplan and go from there. It’s an amazing achievement to get to a semi-final. If someone had said to me two or three years ago, we would be fighting for Champions League and in the semi-finals of the Europa League, I would have bitten their hand off.”*