Ollie Watkins double keeps Aston Villa flying with fine win over Newcastle

Gareth Southgate spent some of this week analysing the latest performances of his England players and if Ollie Watkins did not feature then the Aston Villa striker will certainly will be prominent in his thoughts after scoring two goals and superbly laying on another in an impressive destruction of Newcastle. Southgate could not help but smile as the camera panned to him after Watkins, who also had a strike disallowed, added Villa’s third goal as they produced arguably their best display under Unai Emery.

These are heady days at Villa Park. Villa have won seven of their past eight matches to wriggle into the conversation for European football and this was a case of them flexing their muscles against a Newcastle team intent on qualifying for the Champions League.

From the moment Watkins located the upright inside 28 seconds after searing between Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman, Villa swarmed Newcastle and pressed mute on Eddie Howe’s usually energetic side. Watkins superbly supplied Jacob Ramsey for Villa’s first goal, swivelling mid-air to rise above Trippier and head John McGinn’s cross into the path of Ramsey who wellied his shot into the corner. Emery, all smiles at the final whistle, clenched both fists in delight.

It was hard to escape the feeling that Watkins, playing with oodles of confidence, could score at will but Nick Pope denied Watkins with his legs. Álex Moreno then surged to the byline and cut the ball back for Ramsey, who leathered a shot against the crossbar. Grown men placed their hands on their heads in disbelief. Watkins was substituted late on to a standing ovation.

Southgate would have been keeping tabs on Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope but it is fair to say Watkins and Ramsey upstaged the Newcastle