Ollie Watkins watched the videos to see the defensive frailty Everton suffered in their 1-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa at Goodison Park.

England forward Watkins collected a pass from Morgan Rodgers and rounded goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 51st minute. Villa won In the league for the first time since defeating Fulham on 19 October.

“He’s a smart player,” Watkins told TNT Sports of midfielder Rodgers. “I saw that they were open to counter-attack.

“I saw the place, ran into it and Morgan found me. I watched (and saw) some clips before that they always drop.

“I knew there would be a time and place like that in sports; I just had to be patient and wait for the opportunity.

A lovely play from Morgan Rodgers finds Ollie Watkins to break the deadlock at Goodison! 🔥

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– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 15, 2025

Ollie Watkins goal

Watkins has two goals and two assists in four games since fellow forward John Duran was sent off in Villa’s 3–0 defeat at Newcastle on 26 December.

The 29-year-old had come off the bench in the previous four league games, with 21-year-old Duran succeeding as a substitute, enjoying a string of starts.

After Duran returned from a three-game suspension against Everton, manager Unai Emery took the decision and was rewarded with another energetic performance from Watkins.

“I always work hard and run for the team,” Villa’s top scorer Said after his ninth goal of 2024/25. “Maybe I’m a little too selfless.

“You have to do whatever it takes for the team. You never know when the next opportunity is going to come; You have to keep your mind in the game and have that mindset.”

“The clean sheet was very important today.”

Unai Emery is confident that today’s result will deliver and move towards higher goals 🎯

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– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 15, 2025

Emery: Villa ‘break spell’

Emery acknowledged Villa’s need to “break” their “bad spell” away from home. “We had some clear chances in the first half,” said the Spaniard BBC MOTD.

“We tried to push and take more control in the second but we couldn’t. But we scored. This win is very important.

Villa can find out if they turn a corner in their journey when they visit Arsenal on Saturday (5.30pm), where they won 2-0 in April. They then travel to Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday (5.45pm).