Arsenal fan and Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins appears gutted as teammates celebrate Champions League qualification after Man City's win over Spurs

Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins looked gutted even as his teammates celebrated after Manchester City's Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur secured the Birmingham-based side's Champions League qualification for next season. While the Englishman was happy for his own side, he appeared dismayed about Arsenal, the side that he supports, falling behind Manchester City in the title race.

Superstar Norwegian forward Erling Haaland tapped home from Kevin de Bruyne's low cross into the box in the 51st minute to give City the breakthrough on Tuesday night (May 14). He then netted from the penalty spot in the 91st minute to seal a 2-0 victory for his side.

After the win, City dethroned Arsenal from the top spot in the Premier League standings. They sit on 88 points after 37 gameweeks, two points ahead of Watkins' beloved Gunners.

However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for Watkins. Spurs' loss meant that Aston Villa had secured Champions League qualification for the first time since the 1982-83 season.

The Villans' impressive campaign was inspired by Watkins' spectacular performances this season. He has delivered a stunning 27 goals and 13 assists in 52 games across all competitions in 2023-24, playing a monumental role in his side's success.

During Aston Villa's end-of-season award ceremony, which was held on Tuesday, Watkins was named the Players' Player of the Season and the Supporters' Player of the Season.

However, he cut a forlorn figure throughout the show, presumably due to the fact that the Gunners were no longer in the driver's seat in the Premier League title race. He can be seen sulking in his seat next to right-back Matty Cash (holding the white phone) in the picture below:

Gunners fans, including Watkins, will be hoping that Mikel Arteta's side can do their job and take down Everton in their last league encounter. They will also be keeping their fingers crossed for their London rivals West Ham United to take down Manchester City, which would secure Arsenal's first Premier League title in 20 years.

Ollie Watkins has previously been outspoken about his Gunners fandom

During the 2020 London Football Awards, current Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, who was tearing up the EFL Championship at Brentford, was asked about his Arsenal fandom.

The Englishman was coming off a 26-goal season for the Bees as they just fell short of promotion to the Premier League, losing 2-1 to Fulham after extra time in the play-off final. He won the EFL Player of the Year award at the show for his impressive 2019-20 campaign and was asked what the future held for him.

The forward replied:

“That’s the dream, to play for Arsenal one day. But, you know, it’s a long shot. I’m an Arsenal fan so Thierry Henry was my [idol] - he’s unbelievable to watch. He was the idol growing up really.”

In April, Watkins netted against the side he supported throughout his childhood in the 87th minute to seal a 2-0 win for his team at the Emirates Stadium. When asked about his loyalties after the game, he frankly said (via Sky Sports):

“I used to [support Arsenal]. I grew up supporting Arsenal, but it's a different story now playing against them. Not too much to say really.”

Rumors have linked Watkins with a move to the Emirates for almost 18 months and across three transfer windows. With the Englishman on the Gunners' target list in the summer as well, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for him.