Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has expressed enthusiasm about potentially forming a striking partnership with Jhon Duran, despite the pair’s limited opportunities to play together this season.
Last term, their partnership showed little cohesion, highlighted during Villa’s 1-1 draw against West Ham in March. The duo started the match, but Villa trailed 1-0 at halftime, prompting manager Unai Emery to substitute Duran at the break. Nicolo Zaniolo eventually rescued a point with a late equaliser.
Emery’s only other attempt to pair the two came in the 5-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on the final day of last season, a match with little at stake as Villa had already secured a top-four finish. However, this season has been different, with the two forwards combining for an impressive 22 goals across all competitions. Since December, Emery has rotated his strikers, ensuring both receive opportunities to start.
Duran had a strong run last month, starting four consecutive league games against Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, and Newcastle. He scored in the first three matches before receiving a red card against Newcastle, which led to a three-match suspension. During Duran’s absence, Watkins regained his spot and has been in excellent form, netting three goals in the last four games.
Watkins’ latest strike, his 10th league goal this season, came in Villa’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal. His equaliser in the 68th minute delayed Emery’s plan to substitute him for Duran. Emery later explained: “After Watkins’ goal, I took my time. Both strikers are important for us. Duran, after his suspension, needs to regain match fitness to help us with his unique skill set.”
Speaking to Sky Sports post-match, Watkins shared his thoughts on competing with Duran: “It’s never nice to be substituted. I think we could work well together upfront, but we haven’t had many chances. It’s about accepting the manager’s decision.”
Watkins remains ambitious: “I feel great and want to hit 20 goals this season. Being on penalties helps, and that’s the target.”