Ollie Watkins hits 100th Aston Villa goal in 4-0 win over Bologna to reach Europa League semi-final
Ollie Watkins scored his 100th goal for Aston Villa as the club secured a 4-0 victory over Bologna to reach an all-English Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest. The England international opened the scoring in the 16th minute at Villa Park, finishing a move involving nine players to become the 11th player in the club’s…
Ollie Watkins scored his 100th goal for Aston Villa as the club secured a 4-0 victory over Bologna to reach an all-English Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
The England international opened the scoring in the 16th minute at Villa Park, finishing a move involving nine players to become the 11th player in the club’s history to reach the century milestone and the first since Peter McParland in 1962 to do so.
Watkins’ goal also made him Aston Villa’s outright top scorer in major European competition with 10 goals, overtaking previous record holders Peter Withe and John McGinn.
Emery praises Watkins’ impact while calling for broader contributions
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For Ollie Watkins, today was a special day,” Unai Emery said. “We demand him scoring goals, getting assists, but we need others getting their numbers as well. Strikers are incredibly important.”
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Emery highlighted the importance of Watkins’ return to form after his exclusion from the England squad, noting the striker had scored five goals in seven games and was pushing for a World Cup recall under Thomas Tuchel.
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If there is a better all-round striker available to Tuchel as Harry Kane’s deputy, Watkins would like to hear the conversation.”
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Villa’s path to the semi-finals sets up historic all-English clash
Aston Villa will face Nottingham Forest in the first all-English European semi-final since Arsenal and Manchester United met in the 2008-09 Champions League, with the first leg at the City Ground on 30 April and the return leg at Villa Park on 7 May.
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We have something similar, as both clubs have won the Champions League, Nottingham Forest twice,” Emery said. “So it’s historic. Now to play a semi-final is very important for us, for them and for our supporters. I know how tough it is to win semi-finals.”
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Villa enter the tie having conceded just one goal in their last two European matches, having won 3-1 in Italy in the first leg and now completing a 7-1 aggregate victory, with Ezri Konsa adding a late volley to round off the scoring.
Forest’s Europa League campaign shows resilience ahead of Villa tie
Nottingham Forest secured a draw against Porto in the first leg of their quarter-final, with Vítor Pereira making nine changes to the starting lineup, including Chris Wood’s return after six months out injured, despite the absence of suspended midfielder Elliot Anderson.
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At the final whistle, the head coach’s plan had worked perfectly as Forest claimed an impressive draw at Estadio do Dragao to take into next week’s second leg at the City Ground.”
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With Premier League survival on the line, Pereira had already dismissed talk of priorities in Portugal but it was evident there was one eye on Sunday’s Premier League visit of Aston Villa.”
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Villa balance European ambitions with Premier League push for Champions League qualification
Aston Villa are seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s visit from Sunderland, allowing them to pursue Champions League qualification through domestic form while preparing for the Europa League semi-final.
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Villa can now return to their parallel bid for Champions League qualification, through the Premier League in which they are seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea ahead of Sunday’s visit from Sunderland, having barely broken sweat.”
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Watkins’ milestone places him among Villa’s elite scorers in modern era
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Since his Villa debut on 15 September 2020, only Mohamed Salah (159) and Erling Haaland (157) have scored more goals than Watkins in all competitions.”
'OLLIE WATKINS AGAIN!': Aston Villa lead Chelsea 2-1 | Premier League | NBC Sports
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Watkins now has 13 goals for the season across all competitions, with his 100th for the club coming in his 250th appearance, a milestone he marked earlier in the season with a goal against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.
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What does Watkins’ 100th goal indicate for Aston Villa’s history?
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Watkins became the 11th player to score 100 goals for Aston Villa and the first since Peter McParland in 1962 to reach the milestone, placing him in exclusive company in the club’s modern era.
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How does Villa’s Europa League run compare to their Premier League form?
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The club has suffered only one defeat in European competition this season — a 2-1 loss to Go Ahead Eagles — while finishing level on 21 points with Lyon in the league stage before overcoming Lille 3-0 on aggregate in the last 16.
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What challenge does Nottingham Forest pose in the semi-final?
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Forest have won away at Fenerbahce and Midtjylland in the Europa League knockout stage but lost at home, and will appear to leverage their draw against Porto to advance despite Premier League survival concerns.
