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Ollie Watkins has hit back at former Premier League striker Troy Deeney after scoring in Aston Villa's 2-0 Premier League away win against Arsenal on Sunday, April 14.
Watkins scored the second for his side in the 87th minute, dinking the ball over an onrushing David Raya after finding himself through on goal. He has now scored 19 league goals in 32 appearances this season and 26 in 45 appearances across competitions.
After helping Unai Emery's side get all three points at the Emirates, Watkins uploaded an Instagram story, writing (via SPORTbible):
"@t_deeney Not bad for a winger trying to be a striker."
Watkins' post is a reaction to Deeney's comments on talkSPORT last week. The ex-Watford striker claimed that Watkins is not a pure striker, rather, he is a winger trying to become one. He said (via Metro):
"With Ollie, this is going to sound negative but I promise it is not, he is a winger trying to be a striker."
Deeney added:
"Whenever Ollie runs through, one on one, during many games this season, I'm still not convinced he is going to score."
Deeney further compared Watkins' prowess to Ivan Toney, claiming that the Brentford striker can be relied on more under critical circumstances. Watkins' goal against Arsenal, though, showcased a touch of poise that only elite players possess.
Ollie Watkins provides insight on Unai Emery's team meetings ahead of the Arsenal game
Unai Emery dealt a massive hit to his former side Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations. Aston Villa were able to match what the Gunners had to offer and eventually came away with all three points.
Following the game, Watkins revealed that Emery held several meetings on matchday ahead of the game. Speaking on the same, he said (via Shropshire Star):
"We have a lot of meetings. On Sunday, we had three to drill what we need to do. Everyone knew what we needed to do going onto the pitch. We frustrated them. I could see they were getting a bit tired."
Villa stayed patient and solid, resisting the Gunners' pressure pile in the first half. They eventually found a chink in Mikel Arteta's team's defensive armor and hurt them twice in the second half.
