Aston Villa’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth on the weekend saw them extend their lead over Tottenham Hotspur to six points in the chase for the final coveted Champions League spot for next season.
With just four Premier League fixtures left, Unai Emery is on course to lead his side to something rather special. Combine this with a chance to end their 28-year trophy drought by winning the Europa Conference League, this season could be one that goes down in the annals as one of their finest ever.
The Spaniard has assembled a team which, on paper, is certainly one of the strongest in the Premier League.They have solid options at centre-back, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz to control a match from the heart of the midfield, while wide options like Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey have demonstrated their attacking skills regularly – the pair scoring 23 goals between them in all competitions.
Being able to call upon Ollie Watkins has arguably been the difference for Villa, turning them into top six hopefuls to potential Conference League winners and qualification to the Champions League.
Ollie Watkins’ statistics this season for Aston Villa
The Englishman joined the Midlands side in 2020 from Brentford in a deal worth £33m, which was a club record at the time.
It saw the striker reunite with Dean Smith, who had signed him for the Bees in 2017, and it didn’t take long for Watkins to make his mark in the top flight.
During his maiden season for Villa, he scored 14 goals in 37 Premier League matches, but this tally dropped to 11 efforts the following season.
Metric
Conference League
Premier League
Goals
4
19
Assists
0
12
Shots on target per game
0.8
1.4
Big chances created
0
11
Scoring frequency (minutes)
144
152
Goals were hard to come by under the leadership of Steven Gerrard, but once Emery took over in October 2022, the centre-forward went on a run of scoring 13 goals in just 24 matches in the league, emerging as a player who could have an excellent future under the tutelage of Emery.
That wonderful run last season certainly gave him plenty of confidence ahead of the current campaign as he has been exceptional for Villa.
At the time of writing, Watkins has scored 26 goals and chipped in with 12 assists across 47 games in all competitions, becoming a player who is simply undroppable at the moment.
Not only does the former Brentford machine have the highest overall Sofascore rating among his teammates (7.4) in the Premier League, but he also ranks first for goals and assists (31), shots on target per game (1.4) and big chances missed (20), indicating if his composure was slightly better, he would have a lot more goals to his name.
His performances have helped the club reach the lofty heights of fourth in the division, while his market value is continuing to rise.
Ollie Watkins’ market value at Aston Villa
According to Football Transfers, the striker is currently worth €48.9m (£42m) and his value has been on the rise since he made the move to Villa nearly four years ago.
If he maintains his current form, it will only increase in the coming months, although this could potentially see potential suitors take interest.
His £42m valuation is high, no doubt about it, but Villa sold a striker who had banged in the goals for the club during his spell between 1990 and 1998 for a fee which would work out as nearly double that if judging by inflation – Dwight Yorke.
Dwight Yorke’s statistics for Aston Villa
The former Trinidad and Tobago international striker began his senior career in the United Kingdom at Villa Park.
His first season playing in the Premier League saw Yorke score six goals in 27 matches, but it wasn’t until the 1995/96 season that he emerged as a player to watch out for.
This wasn’t just a fluke campaign either, as another 17-goal haul followed during 1996/97, while 12 more goals were added in what turned out to be his final year at the club, as other clubs soon came sniffing.
While a switch to a bigger club looked imminent, a move to Manchester United certainly came as a surprise. Sir Alex Ferguson had wanted to sign Patrick Kluivert, but after he joined Barcelona, he soon turned his eyes to Yorke.
John Gregory was desperate to keep hold of his star man, but it was clear competing for trophies plus an improved pay packet were two things Villa couldn’t provide.
He signed in August 1998 and the rest, as they say, is history.
Dwight Yorke’s market value in 2024 money
With Ferguson desperate to add something extra to his attacking options, Yorke was signed for £17m, which represented a massive profit for Villa.
In 2024 however – with Totally Money having adjusted for inflation over the years – that transfer fee would now be worth an eye-watering £75.6m.
This is nearly double the market value of Watkins currently as he is on a sublime run of form, showing that Villa hit the jackpot with the striker over 25 years ago.
What Dwight Yorke did after leaving Villa
Following his time in the Midlands, Yorke's spell at the Red Devils would see him win three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and the Champions League, forming a sensational partnership with fellow striker Andy Cole.
Overall, he played 152 matches for the Old Trafford side, scoring 66 goals and grabbing 32 assists, which wasn’t a bad return at all, before he moved to Blackburn Rovers in 2002.
Spells at Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland saw the player round off his career, becoming one of the finest strikers throughout the first ten years of the league's inception.
If only Villa could call upon a player like that to partner Watkins up front, they might have been in contention to win the title rather than aiming for a fourth-place finish, given how good Yorke was at his peak.
Being valued at £75m in today’s market certainly proves the club made the right choice by selling him, despite not wanting to lose a wonderful talent who could provide plenty of goals and drama in equal measure.
Emery can land Watkins partner who's scored 3 goals vs Aston Villa in 23/24
The Villa target has impressed in Europe this season.
ByTom Lever