Despite trailing 0-1 at halftime, Aston Villa staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, securing their 11th consecutive victory across all competitions. Following the match, Ollie Watkins (29), who netted both goals for the Birmingham side, highlighted the man he believes has transformed Villa into a genuine title contender this season.
Aston Villa is enjoying a stellar season, despite a challenging start to their campaign. After the first four rounds, the Birmingham club found themselves in the relegation zone, being the only team in England yet to score a single goal.
However, things have since taken a dramatic turn. Currently, Unai Emery's squad is considered a serious contender for the Premier League title and one of the most in-form teams in Europe.
Ollie Watkins: "Unai Emery is a tactical genius"
While this turnaround is certainly due to the players, the primary architect is manager Unai Emery, whom Ollie Watkins has hailed as a "tactical genius."
The English striker's comments came after Villa's 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, a match where the Londoners had led 1-0 at the break.
Ollie Watkins started the game on the bench, but in the 59th minute, Emery made a triple substitution, bringing him on alongside Jadon Sancho and Amadou Onana. The players replaced were Emiliano Buendia, Donyell Malen, and captain John McGinn, respectively.
Furthermore, the Spanish manager pushed Youri Tielemans, who had started as a defensive midfielder, into the attacking midfield trio behind the striker. All these tactical adjustments ultimately secured the win for Villa, and after the match, Ollie Watkins made sure Emery received full credit.
"Man, let me just say this. Unai Emery is simply a tactical genius. When I came on in the second half, he (Emery) put Jadon (Sancho) and Morgan (Rogers) out wide and moved Youri (Tielemans) into the number 10 position. We gained so much in that area, and ultimately, it showed on the scoreboard. Believe me, if we had to point fingers at one person, it would be him (Emery) (laughs)," said Ollie Watkins after the victory against Chelsea.
Following their success against Chelsea, Villa has accumulated 39 points and remains in 3rd place in the Premier League, with a genuine chance in the title race.
Currently, they are just three points behind leaders Arsenal, and the two teams are set to face off in just two days at the Emirates.