Gareth Southgate spent some of this week analysing the performances of his England players and, if Ollie Watkins did not feature, then the Aston Villa striker will certainly be prominent in his thoughts now after scoring two goals and superbly laying on another in an impressive destruction of Newcastle.
Southgate could not help but smile as the camera panned to him in the stands after Watkins, who also had a goal disallowed, added Villa’s third to rack up a fifth straight victory with a comprehensive display and one that will stay on the lips of supporters for a while.
Unai Emery has transformed Villa and revitalised Watkins, who has scored 11 goals in his past 12 matches; since the World Cup no player has been involved in more Premier League goals than him (11 goals and three assists). Villa have won seven of their past eight matches to move into the conversation for European football and this was a case of them flexing their muscles against a side intent on qualifying for the Champions League.
These are heady days at Villa Park but this marked a sobering defeat for Newcastle, who Eddie Howe acknowledged were an imitation of the high-tempo team that has defied expectations this season. Howe conceded it was their worst performance of the campaign at perhaps the worst possible time, with a crucial game against fifth-placed Tottenham next.
“Sometimes these things, when they happen, it can be a good thing because it just reminds everyone of the fragility of performance,” he said. “At this stage of the season with few games to go, you want to focus on what’s ahead. The main focus is on what our response will be. We need to make sure we’re not that team again.”
From the moment Watkins located the upright inside 28 seconds after searing between Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman, Villa swarmed Newcastle and shut down Howe’s usually energetic side.
Watkins superbly supplied Jacob Ramsey for Villa’s first goal, swivelling mid-air to rise above Trippier and head John McGinn’s cross into the path of Ramsey who wellied his shot into the corner. Emery, all smiles at the final whistle, clenched both fists in delight.
It was hard to escape the feeling that Watkins, playing with oodles of confidence, could score at will, but Nick Pope denied him with his legs. The busy Álex Moreno then surged to the byline and cut the ball back for Ramsey, who leathered a shot against the crossbar. Hands were placed on heads in dismay. There is understandably some disbelief among supporters at quite how quickly Emery has turned Villa around. “We are being very demanding to add a new target to be in the top six but of course we are going to face the teams that are now fighting for that,” the Villa manager said. “We showed we believe, with our supporters, that we can do that.”
Emery was kicking every ball, winding up on the touchline – alternating feet – as his side pushed to double their advantage. Leander Dendoncker, who replaced the injured Leon Bailey, sent a strike swerving over from distance. Moreno caused Trippier endless problems and McGinn clipped a ball over the defence for the game Ramsey to chase, but Pope rushed out of goal to head clear. It took the half-time whistle to provide Newcastle with some light relief.
Southgate would have had an eye on Trippier and Pope but it is fair to say Watkins and Ramsey upstaged the Newcastle pair. Villa’s centre-backs Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings, a partnership that was scarcely troubled and continues to blossom under Emery, will also have done their chances of gaining England recognition no harm. Aside from Jacob Murphy dropping a shot narrowly wide a few minutes into the second half, Newcastle offered little going forward.
Watkins tied them in knots and could have departed with the match ball had he not strayed offside after latching on to a Moreno pass midway through the second half. It was no surprise Moreno was the catalyst for Watkins’s first goal. The Villa left-back whizzed down the flank and picked out Watkins on the edge of the six-yard box. Watkins, with his back to goal, effortlessly rolled Dan Burn and skittled the ball through the legs of the Newcastle defender.
Watkins finally added his second. McGinn bustled down the right before Emi Buendía and Ramsey helped the ball on to Watkins, whose first-time shot nestled in the far corner via a deflection. Watkins exploded with joy and then gestured for calm among the throbbing Villa support. On recent evidence that might be tricky.
