Latest news with #GabrielAgbonlahor
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Jack Grealish hits out at critics before expected Manchester City omission
Jack Grealish has hit back at his critics as he starts the search for a new club following Manchester City's decision not to take him to the Club World Cup. Telegraph Sport exclusively revealed that Grealish, who cost £100 million from Aston Villa in 2021, has been given the summer to secure a move away from City by being left out of the Club World Cup squad. That prompted Grealish's former Villa team-mate Gabriel Agbonlahor to accuse City manager Pep Guardiola of making the 29-year-old's omission from the FA Cup final team 'a bit personal'. Guardiola insisted that his decision to leave Grealish out of his squad for the final Premier League game of the season against Fulham was not personal and should he leave City, then he will do so with their blessing, respect and best wishes. Responding to a video of Agbonlahor pointing the finger at Guardiola on social media, Grealish posted a message that said: 'What do you want me to do? Score a hatty [hat-trick] in 20 [minutes]?'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Jack Grealish appears to take swipe at Pep Guardiola as he's set to be snubbed from Man City's Club World Cup squad
JACK GREALISH has appeared to take a swipe at boss Pep Guardiola's selection policy. The Manchester City star, 29, has fallen out of favour at the Etihad. 3 Grealish started just seven Premier League matches during the 2024-25 season. Having made just one brief cameo in the final six games of the campaign, Grealish was left on the bench during the FA Cup final - with Guardiola instead turning to teenage debutant Claudio Echeverri as his side chased an equaliser. Appearing on talkSPORT, Grealish's former Aston Villa team-mate Gabriel Agbonlahor criticised Guardiola's treatment of his pal. Agbonlahor said: "I think towards the end of the season, it felt to me like it got a bit personal. "Bringing on a young kid for his debut in an FA Cup final when you're chasing a goal, when you've got someone who's had the career Jack's had just seemed a bit odd. "That seemed a bit personal to me, like a last little dig to get you out, to upset you, to (make) you want to move. But we've seen this before from Pep. "Pep can be ruthless at times. If he feels that you're not part of his future plans, he will get rid of you." When talkSPORT posted the clip to Instagram, Grealish commented, appearing to point to how many sub appearances he's made: "What u want me to do score a hatty in 20?" The post received several other comments, including one that read: "Dude jack is been bad lately and I'm not surprised Pep did that." 3 3 Grealish responded: "haha I've been bad lately? "Scored 3 goals in my last 3 appearances over 45 mins but okie dokie love x". Jack Grealish to Napoli?! Conte Plots Shock £100M Raid – Would City Really Let Him Go? Grealish scored one goal and laid on one assist in 20 Prem appearances during the 2024-25 season. His three goals in all competitions came against Leicester, Paris Saint-Germain and Salford. Yesterday it emerged that Grealish will not head to the US with his team-mates for the Club World Cup, as he nears a City exit. The England ace is said to be attracting interest from the Premier League and overseas - with Villa, Newcastle, Everton and Napoli among the interested suitors. Boss Guardiola said in May: 'Of course Jack has to play. He needs to do it — with us or another place.' SunSport recently revealed that Grealish had accepted that he may need to leave City in order to reclaim his England place in time for the World Cup. 'I LOVE JACK GREALISH' Having missed out on last summer's European Championships, Grealish has been left out of both of Thomas Tuchel 's squads so far as Three Lions boss. Asked about the 39-cap star in March, the German said: "I love Jack Grealish. I love everything about him; his personality, his quality. "The guy has courage, can take the heat, not afraid of the Bernabeu whistles when he's on the ball, it does not affect him, it affects him only in the best way. "Is he a player who should be available and have an impact in our (England) squad? Yes, 100 per cent. But lately, he simply has no rhythm and he and I agree 100 per cent. "He said, 'Thomas, I'm not a start-stop player. It's so hard for me to influence a match from the bench and be on the bench again, and two weeks later start again'. "I'm not judging anyone, but it's just a characteristic of Jack, he gets better with every minute. The more he plays the better he gets and then he becomes a proper machine."
New York Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Ollie Watkins is now Aston Villa's record Premier League goalscorer – here's why it matters
Down in Dorset, Ollie Watkins finally did it. A goal against Bournemouth on Saturday means Watkins has surpassed Gabriel Agbonlahor's total of 74 in the Premier League for Aston Villa, so has scored more times for the club than any player since English football's top division was rebranded in 1992. Advertisement The roar that accompanied his winner at the Vitality Stadium felt cathartic; a blast of pent-up frustration as he broke a record which had been long in his mind, but which had, particularly in recent months, started to seem like it could slip out of reach, perhaps permanently. He ran to the travelling Villa fans, having glanced Morgan Rogers' whipped cross into the far corner. He grabbed the club's crest on his shirt and, after being mobbed by team-mates, allowed himself a few moments to soak up the achievement. After the game — a 1-0 victory that keeps Villa's hopes of returning to the Champions League next season alive — Watkins was serenaded by those away supporters; he responded by handing his shirt to a child in the crowd. A special memento for somebody from a historic day. When it was time for media duties, Watkins expressed his delight at setting a new milestone: 'Getting that goal to break the record for this club is massive and something I had my eye on when I came to the club. I said it in my first interview (after being signed in 2020) and it is a great achievement for me.' To break the record now belies the fact that Watkins' place in the Villa side is currently less assured than at any point since their manager Unai Emery was appointed in October 2022. Niggling injuries have suppressed his rhythm and confidence, while fellow front men Jhon Duran and then Marcus Rashford raised the level of competition in terms of selection. When asked about playing Watkins with one or the other of those two, Emery has insisted the 'next step' for Villa is to field twin strikers, yet the small body of evidence — especially when Duran and Watkins dovetailed — seemed unconvincing and destabilising to the structure. Agbonlahor's record, which had for so long seemed destined to be broken by Watkins, started to seem a little safer after the turn of the year. Three hours before Villa's Champions League match against Celtic on January 29, reports emerged of Arsenal having a bid for the England international rejected. Advertisement Villa's senior figures were deeply angered and worried about the unsettling impact on the player, who started that league-phase finale, especially as Arsenal's £40million ($53.5m) offer had been rebuffed two days earlier. Watkins grew up in Devon, a county in the south-west of England far from London, as an Arsenal fan and conversations were had about a move to Mikel Arteta's side. However, with less than a week left of the winter window and Duran heading to Saudi Arabia to join Al Nassr, it was considered unlikely, even if Emery initially did not rule it out. The manager later spoke with Watkins about the remainder of this season, and the 29-year-old's future will be reassessed in the summer. After Arsenal's January overtures came to nothing, Watkins' individual aim became overtaking Agbonlahor's 74 Premier League goals. If he could work his way past that target, it would likely go a long way towards Villa qualifying for the Champions League for a second year running. Privately, there was confidence from close observers that he could reach 20 league goals for the season, in light of an impressive track record under Emery. Below is a rolling 900-minute average of Watkins' expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes compared with his actual goals per 90 — essentially, a player's scoring form versus expectation. If there is more red shading, they are scoring below the quality of their chances. Conversely, the blue shading means they are finding the net more often than the underlying data would suggest. Since arriving in the Premier League, there have been periods of underperformance in Watkins' goalscoring. A good omen, though, is that he has finished the past three seasons strongly in terms of finishing. His goal against Bournemouth brought his 2024-25 league total to 16 with two matches left to play. In the previous campaign, he scored 19 in the Premier League. His disappointment at just missing out on becoming the first Villa player to score 20 or more goals in a top-flight campaign since Peter Withe did it in 1980-81 was offset by registering a division-leading 13 assists. 'It had been an aim, but there is always next season,' Watkins said of the 20-goal mark. 'I am not surprised by how well I have done this season because of all the hard work I've put in. Has it been a breakthrough? Yeah. But next season will be better, I'm sure.' Advertisement However, he returned to Villa after his summer break just a week before their Premier League opener due to his involvement in England getting to the European Championship final in early July. He was also carrying an injury, limiting him to a handful of training sessions. Since then, Watkins has struggled with a knee issue too, impeding his sharpness and mobility — essential traits of his finishing ability. 'We started the season playing only Watkins (up front) when he was not completely fit,' Emery admitted in a press conference last week. Performances have suffered and reached a point where Emery overlooked him for pivotal matches. Not starting either leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain wounded Watkins mentally — Rashford is now regarded as a No 9 and in direct competition for selection following his January loan move from Manchester United — as did the times he was omitted in favour of the now-departed Duran. Following the 4-1 victory against Newcastle United last month, where Watkins started for just the second time in seven matches, the forward told Sky Sports: 'I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games. I am not going to lie, I was fuming that I wasn't playing — I let him (Emery) know that.' Emery is not the only Villa figure Watkins has spoken to and with whom he has been clear about his wishes. There is an acceptance of Watkins' frankness, given no top player has a mentality that welcomes being second-best. This was highlighted by his display that day against Newcastle. He scored the game's opening goal inside the first minute and assisted Ian Maatsen for Villa's second to double the lead just after the hour. Watkins appeared revitalised physically and, like last season, was at the core of everything positive the team did. Those recent omissions are just the latest test in a career of proving sceptics wrong. Advertisement As a young boy, he was rejected by Exeter City before belatedly signing schoolboy forms there. On loan at Weston-super-Mare in the sixth tier of the English game, he was a floaty 19-year-old wide forward who struggled aerially and whose hold-up play was limited. His evolution in the years since has been impressive. Those who used to play with and against him have expressed astonishment at how he has transformed into an all-round striker, as shown by the evenness of his finishes, with either foot or his head. His late equaliser away to Bournemouth last season was a staggering example of the major improvements aerially — under severe pressure and facing away from goal, Watkins managed to generate enough power from the cross and towards the far post. The graphic below, showing where he scores his goals, demonstrates how Watkins has taken his chances almost exclusively in the box under Emery. Watkins' central positioning was illustrated in January. This goal at the Emirates Stadium showed Watkins back to his best, managing to time his run towards the back post and behind Arsenal's back line. Despite leaning back, he keeps his volley on target. His progress has been in line with Villa's predicted trajectory and undoubtedly justifies the £28million fee ($37m at the current exchange rate) paid to Brentford, then in the second-tier Championship, in summer 2020. Watkins' relationship with his previous club has become increasingly strained. Seemingly, the more goals he scores against them — five in his previous four matches — the greater the animosity swells. The apex came last season, following Watkins' close-range headed winner. He stood in the Brentford goal, pointing at a supporter who had insulted his family during the match, sparking a melee between both sets of players. After arriving at Villa, Watkins put up solid numbers under Emery's predecessor, Steven Gerrard, but was streaky and never regarded as a traditional No 9. He would operate instead as an inside left-winger behind striker Danny Ings — a role encapsulated in his first goal under Gerrard. Cutting inside, Watkins rifled this effort against Brighton into the top corner. Then Emery arrived and three months later, Ings was sold to West Ham, with Villa putting their faith in Watkins. The new coaching staff started to show Watkins clips of other players to encourage his evolution as a striker and asked him to remain within the width of the penalty area, replicating the movements of Edinson Cavani and Carlos Bacca, prolific strikers who had worked under Emery at other clubs. This chimed with the player, who was keen for greater responsibility and to be the one getting on the end of chances inside the 18-yard box. Advertisement Watkins accepted that if he was to warrant an England recall and elevate his game, he had to concentrate on his effectiveness in the most telling areas of the pitch, resulting in a higher goal output. A hat-trick against Brighton early in Emery's first full season was seminal — all three goals were scored from within the penalty area. Gradually, Watkins transformed into an archetypal centre-forward, scoring an increasing number of goals with his head, helping him become a greater threat from crosses. Watkins is considered one of Villa's most conscientious and hardest trainers, described to The Athletic by a source close to the dressing room, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their position, as 'working relentlessly with staff to get to these levels'. He has a close relationship with Villa's individual-development coach, Antonio Rodriguez Saravia, known around the club as Rodri. Saravia tends to work with Watkins after the main training session is over, fine-tuning the nuances of a striker's game. This includes finishing practice, more analysis meetings and learning the type of runs to make. The overarching sense of vindication has been immense, with impressive statistics the result of refined finishing ability. Last season's left-footed strike against West Ham was notable. This was Watkins at his most instinctive and flowing, driving into the box before shifting the ball onto his weaker foot and ripping a shot into the roof of the net. Another notable goal was against Arsenal earlier in 2023 — he felt amply confident to slow William Saliba down, before executing a stepover and finishing expertly. Last season, Watkins was the first player in Europe's top five leagues to reach 15 goals and 10 assists. His combined final league total of 32 — 19 goals, 13 assists — meant he was only the ninth Englishman of the Premier League era to have 30 or more goal involvements in a 38-game campaign. A propensity to make constant elastic-type runs against defences — stretching the play before contracting it by dropping deep and receiving the ball to feet — is common in his collection of goals and works perfectly with Emery's two attacking midfielders on either side of him. Advertisement The 3-1 win at Fulham in October was a case in point. Having drawn defender Issa Diop towards him… … Watkins spins into the space behind… … and then has the poise to drive towards goal, steady himself and finish low into the far corner. Here is another trademark Watkins off-the-ball run and finish against Tottenham in November 2023. After a give-and-go with Youri Tielemans, he receives the ball and shoots with minimal backlift. His record in London remains outstanding, having scored at Fulham, Brentford, West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs in the previous two and a half years. Here, Watkins shows his range of finishing, first dinking one over Kepa Arrizabalaga against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in April 2023… … before driving hard and low past Robert Sanchez at the same stadium the following season. Those moments have grown more sporadic in recent months, with Watkins no longer looked to as Villa's key source of goals. Yet he is capable of delivering a reminder of his quality, shown last month when he came on as a second-half substitute against Southampton. Note Watkins pointing for the ball to be passed to Tielemans in the build-up. Tielemans duly receives, prompting Watkins to dart behind Southampton's back line. Tielemans judges the weight of the pass perfectly but even more impressive is Watkins' acrobatic finish. He is off-balance but gets sufficient contact with his laces to lob Aaron Ramsdale. This 73rd-minute opener broke Southampton's spirit, leading to a comfortable 3-0 win. Surpassing Agbonlahor's Premier League scoring record visibly meant a great deal to him. It was a moment to celebrate Watkins' achievement and reflect upon his importance to Villa and the Emery era at the club.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Hard worker' Ollie Watkins praised by Unai Emery after scoring at Bournemouth
Unai Emery admitted he is 'so, so grateful' to manage Ollie Watkins after the forward became Aston Villa's outright record Premier League goalscorer to fire the club into Europe. England international Watkins moved on to 75 top-flight strikes for Villa – one more than Gabriel Agbonlahor – by securing Saturday evening's 1-0 win at Bournemouth. A seventh victory in eight league games guaranteed a top-seven place for Emery's side, meaning they will definitely play in continental competition next term. Villa, who are chasing Champions League qualification via a top-five finish, leapfrogged Nottingham Forest into sixth spot and sit level on 63 points with fourth-placed Newcastle and Chelsea in fifth. Speaking of Watkins' record-breaking exploits, head coach Emery said: 'It's fantastic, brilliant. 'He deserves it completely because he is a hard worker. He is committed with Aston Villa. 'His courage has been fantastic and to achieve it is very fantastic. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him.' Watkins, who joined from Brentford in 2020, touched home Morgan Rogers' cross six minutes into first-half added time to settle the south-coast contest. Villa were relatively comfortable at the Vitality Stadium until Jacob Ramsey's 80th-minute dismissal for a second bookable offence set up a tense finale. Match-winner Watkins told Sky Sports: 'I think it is massive for us. There are a lot of teams that are pushing for Champions League spots and it is going down to the wire. 'Getting that goal to break the record for this club is massive and something I had my eye on when I came to the club. I said it in my first interview and it is a great achievement for me.' As their quest for a top-five spot reaches a climax, Villa, who progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals this term, face Europa League finalists Tottenham and Manchester United in the final two weeks of the season. Emery said: '(It's) fantastic to be again in Europe, for the third year in a row: Conference League, Champions League, and this year Conference League, Europa League or Champions League. 'Of course we have a very ambitious objective. 'We will play matches for it and now I am really enjoying the team, I enjoy how we are competing, I am enjoying how the players are showing the commitment we need to fight again to be in the top positions in the table.'
The Independent
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
‘Hard worker' Ollie Watkins praised by Unai Emery after scoring at Bournemouth
Unai Emery admitted he is 'so, so grateful' to manage Ollie Watkins after the forward became Aston Villa's outright record Premier League goalscorer to fire the club into Europe. England international Watkins moved on to 75 top-flight strikes for Villa – one more than Gabriel Agbonlahor – by securing Saturday evening's 1-0 win at Bournemouth. A seventh victory in eight league games guaranteed a top-seven place for Emery's side, meaning they will definitely play in continental competition next term. Villa, who are chasing Champions League qualification via a top-five finish, leapfrogged Nottingham Forest into sixth spot and sit level on 63 points with fourth-placed Newcastle and Chelsea in fifth. Speaking of Watkins' record-breaking exploits, head coach Emery said: 'It's fantastic, brilliant. 'He deserves it completely because he is a hard worker. He is committed with Aston Villa. 'His courage has been fantastic and to achieve it is very fantastic. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him.' Watkins, who joined from Brentford in 2020, touched home Morgan Rogers' cross six minutes into first-half added time to settle the south-coast contest. Villa were relatively comfortable at the Vitality Stadium until Jacob Ramsey's 80th-minute dismissal for a second bookable offence set up a tense finale. Match-winner Watkins told Sky Sports: 'I think it is massive for us. There are a lot of teams that are pushing for Champions League spots and it is going down to the wire. 'Getting that goal to break the record for this club is massive and something I had my eye on when I came to the club. I said it in my first interview and it is a great achievement for me.' As their quest for a top-five spot reaches a climax, Villa, who progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals this term, face Europa League finalists Tottenham and Manchester United in the final two weeks of the season. Emery said: '(It's) fantastic to be again in Europe, for the third year in a row: Conference League, Champions League, and this year Conference League, Europa League or Champions League. 'Of course we have a very ambitious objective. 'We will play matches for it and now I am really enjoying the team, I enjoy how we are competing, I am enjoying how the players are showing the commitment we need to fight again to be in the top positions in the table.'
