OLLIE WINS EURO VISION SCRAP

Watkins edges Villa closer to top-five spot with deft touch to pick off Cherries

- By Steve Judge

OLLIE WATKINS showed how desperate he is to take Aston Villa back into the Champions League after bemoaning the fact he was not given the chance to keep them in the competition.

The England striker became Villa’s record Premier League scorer, notching his 75th goal with a sublime finish at the Vitality Stadium which keeps Unai Emery’s men in the hunt for a top-five finish.

In a rare outburst, Watkins had made clear his frustrations at being stuck on the bench as Villa attempted a miraculous comeback against Paris Saint-Germain last month.

He has only found himself back in the starting line-up due to Marcus Rashford being ruled out with a hamstring injury.

But he took full advantage of his opportunity with the sort of performance that will have him back on Thomas Tuchel’s radar after being ruled out of the German's first England squad due to injury.

This was a big step for Villa, who started a game for the first time this season without the calming influence of Youri Tielemans in midfield.