Watkins wants Golden Boot after scoring in Arsenal win | OneFootball

Ollie Watkins said he ‘definitely has his eyes on the Premier League’s Golden Boot’ after scoring in Aston Villa’s 2-0 win at Arsenal.

Unai Emery’s side took a huge step towards Champions League qualification with an upset win at the Emirates, as Villa produced a clinical performance to end Arsenal’s unbeaten start to 2024.

Watkins continued his spectacular individual campaign with a 19th league goal of the season, with the 28-year-old just one behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland as the league’s leading scorer.

The England international also has a league-leading 10 assists and teammate Emi Martinez said Watkins should be in contention for the Player of the Season awards.

Watkins admitted that he has his sights set on another individual award as he looks to become the first Aston Villa player to finish as the top-flight’s leading scorer since Peter Withe in 1981.

“I felt like we grew into the game a lot. The longer Arsenal didn’t create much, we could see from their body language that they were getting tired and definitely getting frustrated and I think we used that as momentum and motivation really,” Watkins said to BBC Match of the Day.

“We grew into the game and we played some really good football. We didn’t go long too much, the boss demanded that we played out and were brave. If we lost the ball and they scored from it, so be it, but that’s the game plan and it worked today. We frustrated them and in both boxes, we were really good.

“When I saw Youri’s hit the bar and the post, I thought ‘ah no, it’s not going to be our day is it?’ I was always calm that we were going to get something. We were frustrating them, we were creating lots of chances and we could see that they were getting tired and we kept plugging away and we stuck at it. I’m delighted with that, it’s a massive win. A lot of people doubted us or definitely favoured Arsenal coming into this game. We’ve been playing well and been a bit lackadaisical and lost concentration, so today, we showed we’re a really strong team and we’re fighting for the Champions League.

“Every day, the boss is really demanding. Whether we win or lose, it’s back to the training field and work on what we need to do to perform on the pitch. That’s one thing we’re all very clear on is the game plan. When we’re going in, we have long meetings. We had three meetings today, which is tiring but it’s clear when you go on the pitch, what you need to do and what is going to happen.

“I think it was from a corner. I could see that they were all pushing up on the edge of the box and I was kind of not goal-hanging but waiting for that ball to come and I thought maybe I had lost the chance a little bit when Smith Rowe was running through, but as the keeper came out, he made my mind up and there was only one finish there to dink it over him. I think it shows how far I have come. I think going back, I probably wouldn’t have scored that but I’m definitely very composed in those situations now and I back myself in those scenarios at the end of the day.

“I think it is what it’s about. As a striker, you want to score as many goals as possible. I’m not going to lie, I’m chasing that, I’m doing all that I can to help the team to win and for me to score as many goals and assists to my teammates as possible. I definitely have my eyes on the golden boot. I’m not going to lie to you.”

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