Should Ollie Watkins be the Premier League Player of the Season?

Emiliano Martinez made a press release price magnifying on Sunday after Ollie Watkins scored once more and Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 to strengthen its top-four case whereas hurting the Gunners’ bid to win the Premier League.

“I feel Ollie ought to win participant of the season,” Martinez stated. “Once you play for a ‘Large Six’ facet, you get extra credit score however Ollie has scored 19 objectives with the possibilities he is received. He ought to be a contender.”

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There is not any query that Watkins is a contender, Emi, however it’s turning into troublesome to say the 28-year-old English ahead should not be the primary home participant to put declare to the Premier League’s high particular person honor since Jamie Vardy in Leicester’s gorgeous 2015-16 title seize.

Villa surpassed its 2022-23 factors haul of 61 with Sunday’s win, and did it regardless of contending with ongoing European schedule congestion. The Villans are 90 minutes from the Convention League semifinal stage, and look succesful if not possible to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Unai Emery’s males have 63 factors and are three factors away from fifth-place Spurs, who’ve performed one fewer video games. And fifth place could also be sufficient for the UCL, with no workforce under fifth trying an actual menace to make up their double-digit hole with about 5-6 matches left for the sector.

However about Watkins… effectively… wow.

Ought to Ollie Watkins be Premier League Participant of the Season?

Watkins is three away from Mohamed Salah for essentially the most aim contributions of anybody within the Premier League this season, his 19 objectives trailing Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot and his 10 assists tied with Pascal Gross and Kieran Trippier in a wide-open race for Playmaker of the Season.

These 29 contributions come from Villa’s 68 objectives this Premier League season. And whereas conventional producers Haaland, Salah, and Kevin De Bruyne have missed vital time to open up Watkins probability to steer the league in objectives and/or assists, Watkins equally deserves to be lauded for his sturdiness.

Earlier than we go additional, this is what Watkins stated concerning Martinez’s feedback

“It is good that he is saying that,” Watkins stated. “I am simply making an attempt to let my soccer do the speaking. … I felt like I performed effectively in the present day, I grew into the sport second half. Even when I might come off with no aim, I might have been proud of my efficiency however the little dink was good.”

Watkins has solely missed one PL sport — a 4-1 loss to Man Metropolis maybe underscoring his import contemplating he went 90 within the 1-0 win over Metropolis late in 2023 — and he is gone 73 minutes or extra in 31 of his 32 appearances. Ninety minutes? Strive 28 instances. For a middle ahead, that is rather a lot even earlier than considering his match video games. However this award is concerning the Premier League.

He is doing all this with effectivity, massively out-producing an xG+xA/90 determine that’s simply 18th within the Premier League. Photographs per 90 minutes? He is twenty sixth.

Ought to he win the honour? He is one of many favorites, and may benefit from division of votes amongst the opposite large groups. Rodri, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland have been unbelievable for Man Metropolis, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka be a part of Martin Odegaard as excellent on Arsenal. By way of clear MVPs from one workforce, he is most likely edging Heung-min Son and Salah amongst high groups and Cole Palmer and Bruno Fernandes from these off that perch.

There are circumstances to be made for others however the circumstances simply aren’t as robust because the one for Watkins. With the title undecided and the very actual probability that votes will probably be solid earlier than the title is solid, this may very well be the 12 months for Watkins.