What Aston Villa’s Unai Emery Said About Ollie Watkins After Benching Against PSG in First Leg | OneFootball

Unai Emery made a questionable decision to go with Marcus Rashford over Ollie Watkins in the starting 11 for Aston Villa in the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG came from behind to claim a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the first leg at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, netting three unanswered goals after falling behind 1-0.

While PSG showcased their quality, some are questioning whether Unai Emery’s decisions contributed to the turnaround. After Aston Villa took the lead, Desire Doue quickly leveled the score, sending both teams into halftime at 1-1.

Doue’s goal seemed to change the momentum. Early in the second half, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front 2-1.

It looked as though the match would end with that score, but Nuno Mendes sealed the win with a late goal, giving PSG a 3-1 advantage heading into the second leg.

Unai Emery talks about Ollie Watkins ahead of the second leg

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Despite deciding to go with Rashford, Emery praised Watkins during his press conference on Monday, noting that the striker’s mentality is one that the entire squad needs if they want to pull off a comeback (h/t Aston Villa’s official website).

“He showed us he was feeling fantastic at Southampton and scoring goals. He played 30 minutes really performing really well and this is the objective we have with the players. Try to be focused 100% and try to use your skills and qualities helping the team. This is the mentality we will need tomorrow to play the match. Everybody ready and everybody trying to get their best.”