Will Watkins fire Villa back into Champions League?
While he's still some way off Aston Villa's all-time top scorer Billy Walker - who netted 244 goals between 1920 and 1934 - Ollie Watkins has now become the club's record Premier League goalscorer, with 75 goals in 182 league appearances.Watkins reached the milestone in almost half the appearances it took the previous record holder, Gabby Agbonlahor, who managed 74 goals in 322 games - a stat that also reflects Villa's accelerated progress in recent seasons.While Watkins grabbed headlines with his dramatic winner for England in the Euro 2024 semi-final, Villa fans will now be hoping the next step in his evolution is becoming the kind of clinical big-game finisher the club can rely on.The stakes in Villa's final two league games are certainly on a similar level, giving the England striker an instant platform to make such a statement.First up is a rare Friday night double-header, with Villa and their direct Champions League rivals Chelsea each taking on teams who have one eye on their own quest for a Champions League spot through winning the Europa League final.Surely, both Spurs and Manchester United will prioritise resting players for next week's final, but will one be weaker than the other?Villa will play both finalists in their last two league games, so a Watkins winner against Spurs and a legendary hat-trick at Old Trafford would be just the tonic to help Villa snatch a top-five place.Not only would it also give Watkins his 20-goal target for this season, but it would set him up nicely in attempting to cross the 100 Premier League goals line next season.Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external
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