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EMERY HAVING A JOLLY OLLIE DAY

Irish Sunday Mirror

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December 28, 2025

Watkins double has Villans dreaming of title challenge as banned Enzo suffers

OLLIE WATKINS came off the bench to score twice - and ensure Aston Villa's brilliant winning run continued.

At halftime Unai Emery's side looked like their ambitions of staying in the Premier League title race were slipping away.

Joao Pedro's finish from a Reece James corner gave the hosts the lead against an out-of-sorts Villa side looking nothing like a team going for an 11th win in a row in all competition.

But then in the 59th minute, Emery summoned Watkins - a surprise omission from the start - and everything changed.

Within moments the England international had equalised from Morgan Rogers' through-ball, then seven minutes from time he rose to nod Youri Tielemans' header into the corner to keep Villa within three points of leaders Arsenal.

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