Unai Emery has warned Ollie Watkins he is no longer Aston Villa’s undisputed No 1 centre forward, despite his recent form with England.
Watkins has been one of the Premier League’s most lethal strikers during Emery’s tenure and was chosen ahead of Harry Kane for England’s Nations League win in Greece this month.
At Villa, though, Watkins is facing his own challenge from Jhon Duran. Watkins has been substituted between the 60th and 70th minute six times this season, and Duran has eight goals in all competitions to Watkins’s five — although the Colombian has not scored in the Premier League since September 21.
‘Each player has to understand the process we have,’ said Emery, whose side face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.
‘Watkins is very important for us, but some circumstances can change. We are building a team with two players for every position.
‘Watkins has to accept and adapt quickly to his new position, playing the same way as last year, with his quality and capacity. I don’t want just one player feeling confident, getting minutes, scoring goals. I want every player to have the same mentality.’
Emery pointed out that without Duran’s contributions early in the season, Villa might be far worse off. Though they have lost their past two league matches, Villa remain firmly in Champions League contention.
Duran was decisive in wins over West Ham, Leicester and Everton after coming on, as Watkins struggled to find top form having played at Euro 2024.
Emery added: ‘Watkins needed time to get fit and confident again. He did not do all the pre-season.
‘We needed Duran scoring goals in the last 30 minutes of matches.
‘If we didn’t have Duran helping as we did, then maybe we wouldn’t have the points that we do now. The team, the squad, the commitment to help — these are the most important things.’