Ollie Watkins fired the perfect response to his England snub by helping Aston Villa to a 2-0 win over West Ham.
Emery delighted with Villa players after bounce back win
Watkins, who has been off colour this season, saw his World Cup dreams suffer a big blow when he was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
But his second-half goal, which came after John McGinn opened the scoring, fired Villa to a huge three points in the race for Champions League qualification.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in action
After seeing rivals Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all drop points, they produced their best performance for several weeks, leaving the manager "delighted".
“We are delighted with how the supporters in Villa Park helped us and transmitted their energy,” Unai Emery said after bouncing back from three straight league defeats.
“We set out in this match to recover our confidence, our tactical structure, and our style and idea, trying to confirm it on the field, dominating the match and winning it.
“We did it. We won because we were setting our game plan strongly in the direction we planned before the match. The players responded fantastically.
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“It was really brilliant how they got the challenge to play in this way and to play recovering confidence and feeling comfortable, collectively and individually.
“Defensively, as well, we kept a clean sheet. We won because the players responded fantastically.”
Aston Villa eyeing summer move for PSG star Ibrahim Mbaye
According to Sky Sports, Aston Villa are beginning to look towards the summer transfer window with one eye on Champions League qualification, which will be necessary to secure their latest target, PSG youngster Ibrahim Mbaye.
Paris St Germain's Ibrahim Mbaye in action with FC Barcelona's Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde
The 18 year-old is seen as 'one of the best up and coming talents in Europe' and Sky claim 'several Premier League clubs' are considering a move, so a place in Europe's elite competition - and the promise of regular playing time - will be crucial to win the race for his signature.
Typically deployed on the right wing but capable of playing on either flank, Mbaye has featured 25 times for PSG's senior side this season, scoring once and providing two assists.
Starring for Senegal at AFCON, the youngster left DR Congo head coach Sébastien Desabre singing his praises after coming off the bench to help create a goal for Sadio Mane.
"Ibrahim Mbaye's entrance made the difference. He's a talented young man.
"Mbaye's speed and technique caused us problems. Senegal has some very good young players."
Known for his quick feet and clever link-up play, his value is set to skyrocket once he starts adding end product, with a transfer valuation already standing at €25m, a figure which stood at just €3m this time last year.
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