Watkins lauds ‘genius’ Emery for masterminding Villa comeback win v Chelsea | OneFootball

Aston Villa came from behind to claim a memorable 2-1 victory over Chelsea, taking their winning streak to 11 on the trot.

Villa continue to defy underlying metrics, claiming huge scalps as they bid to keep pace with the Premier League title contenders.

The Villains have bounced back from their nightmare start to the season thanks to the brilliance of manager Unai Emery, who steadied the ship.

The Spanish tactician masterminded the comeback versus Chelsea, earning praise from Villa talisman Ollie Watkins for his changes.

The Aston Villa striker said (via Jacob Tanswell), “He (Emery) changed it because Chelsea were going man for man, but they had the extra centre-back when we were going long.

“When I came on, he brought Jadon & Morgan Rogers on the wing and put Youri in the 10, so we had an extra man in there. He’s a tactical genius.”

Besides the tactical change, his substitutions sparked the team to life, and they immediately took control of proceedings.

Some Villans wanted his head when the club started the season with a winless run, but Emery has turned everything around.

The Birmingham-based club could enter another gear, too, if Watkins has found his groove.

Watkins came on from the bench and made an immediate impact against Chelsea. He was slid in after a mistake and managed to force the ball into the back of the net on 61.

The Englishman proved too hot to handle for the Chelsea rearguard and netted the winner moments later.

For weeks, he has been off form, but it didn’t look like it at Stamford Bridge as Watkins ran riot. If he can keep up this form, he will give the Villains another dimension in attack.

Watkins is a tireless and selfless runner who can give any opposition backline a difficult day at the office. He’ll make the Villains even more dangerous if he can keep up this form.