'fantastic' Record-breaker Watkins 'shows Weight In Gold'

"I said from nan commencement erstwhile I joined nan club, that's what I had my eyes on," says Ollie Watkins.

Now it's official. He is Aston Villa's grounds Premier League goalscorer.

Watkins' victor against Bournemouth was his 75th convention extremity for nan nine and moved him 1 clear of Gabby Agbonlahor's erstwhile grounds haul.

It marks a melodramatic return to favour for nan 29-year-old, who joined from Brentford successful 2020.

When he equalled Agbonlahor's grounds successful April, Watkins said he was "fuming" pinch his deficiency of crippled time and calling retired his head Unai Emery.

But, 4 matches later, he's erstwhile again Villa's main man pinch his leader calling his accomplishment "very fantastic".

"He deserves it wholly because he is simply a difficult worker," said Emery. "He is committed pinch Aston Villa.

"His courageousness has been awesome and to execute it is very fantastic. I americium so, truthful grateful to person a subordinate for illustration him."

On Saturday astatine a sun-kissed Bournemouth, Watkins guided Morgan Rogers' debased transverse into nan bottommost area pinch a delicate, deft touch.

It was his 16th Premier League extremity of nan play - nary different Englishman has more.

Longevity is key. Watkins has scored astatine slightest 10 convention goals successful each of his 5 seasons astatine Villa, helping him move up of Dwight Yorke, Dion Dublin and Juan Pablo Angel successful nan club's top-scorer charts.

"It's a large achievement. immoderate unbelievable players person played for this club," Watkins told BBC Match of nan Day.

"You look astatine nan names, truthful to beryllium up location connected nan apical of that I'm really proud. It's awesome achievement."

This season, Watkins has had to conflict for a starting spot pinch Jhon Duran, who past moved to Saudi Arabian nine Al-Nassr for £71m successful January, and Marcus Rashford, who joined connected indebtedness from Manchester United successful nan aforesaid window.

Watkins had started each of Villa's first 14 Premier League matches, but was constricted to 2 convention starts and 3 substitute appearances successful April, and didn't commencement either of Villa's Champions League quarter-final matches against Paris St-Germain.

With Emery preferring Rashford successful nan starting XI, speculation was rife that Watkins whitethorn time off Villa.

The nine had already rejected a £40m bid for nan England world from Arsenal successful January.

But Rashford was ruled retired for nan remainder of nan play past period pinch a hamstring wounded and, since then, Watkins has returned up beforehand to radiance again.

"He's shown his weight successful gold," erstwhile Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie told Sky Sports.

"It's not only his goals, but his squad play. He useful difficult disconnected nan ball. He was chasing defenders successful nan past 5 minutes. He's ever looking what he tin do to impact nan crippled - that conscionable shows really important he is."

Watkins' victor ensures Villa can't decorativeness little than seventh this season, meaning nan Birmingham broadside will, astatine worst, suffice for adjacent season's Uefa Conference League.

Emery's broadside person reached Europe for a 3rd consecutive season, and still person a decent changeable of a Champions League return via a top-five finish.

Indeed, Villa's triumph boosted their chances of qualifying for nan Champions League from 15.5% earlier nan play to 34.2% according to nan Opta supercomputer.

"I deliberation it is monolithic for us," Watkins told Sky Sports. "There are a batch of teams that are pushing for Champions League spots and it is going down to nan wire."

Villa are presently sixth and level connected points pinch 4th and fifth-placed Newcastle and Chelsea, who play each different connected Sunday.

Emery's men adjacent look Tottenham astatine location connected Friday, earlier taking connected Manchester United astatine Old Trafford successful their last crippled of nan season.