Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins used 'anger' of PSG benching for standout display against Newcastle

Reinstated to the starting XI, Watkins opened the scoring within the first minute at Villa Park, struck the woodwork twice in the first half, and later provided a key assist for Ian Maatsen's goal in a dominant second-half display. The result propelled Villa into sixth place and firmly into contention for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Watkins' performance came on the back of a frustrating period in which he was named on the bench for five of Villa's previous six fixtures, including both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Manager Unai Emery had opted to start on-loan forward Marcus Rashford in those matches.

Speaking candidly after the match, Watkins admitted he had found his recent exclusion difficult to accept.

"I think the manager's got a bit of a headache now, because I'm knocking on his door asking why I'm not playing," the former Brentford striker told Sky Sports. "We've put in a lot of hard graft over the last few years to reach this stage. I only played 20 minutes across both PSG matches. I won't lie - I was fuming, and I let him know that."

Despite his frustration, Watkins acknowledged the authority of the manager, saying: "At the end of the day, he's the manager and you've got to respect his decision. But I'm not one of those players who is happy to sit on the bench."

Watkins' deflected opener was his 74th Premier League goal for the club, bringing him level with Gabriel Agbonlahor as Aston Villa's all-time leading scorer in the competition. With 15 league goals this season - more than any other English player - his form has not gone unnoticed, potentially drawing interest from clubs across Europe.

Reflecting further on his limited role in the Champions League tie, Watkins said: "It's something I hadn't really experienced before. You always want to play on the biggest stage, especially in the Champions League. A few of us were disappointed not to start. While the team performed well and we managed to beat PSG in one leg, I felt I could have contributed more."

He continued: "I've played a big part in helping the team reach this point, and I want to be on the pitch for the big moments, not watching from the bench."

Aston Villa travel to face Manchester City on Tuesday, where Watkins is expected to start. A goal in that fixture would see him surpass Agbonlahor to become Villa's all-time top scorer in the Premier League era.

"I've had my eyes on that record since I signed for the club," he said. "Now I'm not far away."

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