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Aston Villa drew 1-1 with Leeds United at Villa Park in the Premier League this weekend
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins needs to respond to competition from new boy Tammy Abraham, says Wayne Rooney. Watkins’ position in the starting XI at Villa Park is now under scrunity following the arrival of Abraham. Unai Emery’s side drew 1-1 with Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.
They fell behind in the first-half after Anton Stach’s goal. However, they equalised near the end of the game through Abraham. The Midlands outfit remain 3rd in the Premier League table behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins struggling for form
Watkins has struggled to find his shooting boots for Aston Villa this season. He has scored eight goals but hasn’t been able to reach the same heights as he has done over recent years. The England international, who has 20 caps to his name, has been their main man up top since his move back in 2020 from Brentford.
However, the 30-year-old may now slip behind Abraham in the pecking order if he isn’t careful. Emery made the decision to land Abraham during the January transfer window to add more competition and depth to his attacking department. He has since made a positive impression.
Abraham has found the net twice in his first five outings. He had a loan spell at Aston Villa earlier in his career and fired 26 goals in 40 outings. The London-born man has also had stints at Chelsea, Bristol City, Swansea City, Roma, AC Milan and Besiktas in the past.
What did Wayne Rooney say about Aston Villa attacker Ollie Watkins
Ex-Manchester United star Rooney has had this to say about Watkins at Aston Villa on Match of the Day: “I think Ollie Watkins looks like he is lacking confidence. He’s obviously had a difficult season and now with Tammy Abraham coming in and lurking behind him, maybe he’s feeling a bit of pressure.”
He added: “He has to (respond to competition from Abraham). In football you have competition. Tammy Abraham has come in, he’s scored goals for Aston Villa before. He looks like he’s settling in very quickly and he’s got a couple of goals in his last two games.
“What we don’t see now is clubs with many centre forwards. Ollie Watkins has really been the standout and the only centre forward. Now with Tammy Abraham coming in, it’s the pressure that football brings. He has to deal with it. He has to respond and certainly if he wants to go to the World Cup, he needs to perform a little bit better I think.”
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