Ollie Watkins is finally showing signs of life and Aston Villa hope his revival will carry them all the way into the Champions League.
The England forward turned 30 last December and for most of this season, he has been well below his best – but still boss Unai Emery has stuck with him.
Perhaps Emery was right after all. Not long into the second half of this painfully drab Europa League tie at Lille, Watkins’ instinctive header gave Villa the only goal.
It made Emery’s men favourites to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, with the second leg at Villa Park on March 19.
Even more importantly, it should restore a little of Villa’s fraying self-belief as they prepare to meet Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, as both clubs tussle for a top-five finish in the Premier League and a place in next season’s Champions League.
Winning the Europa League would also take Villa into Europe’s main club competition. If Watkins really is discovering his mojo again, it makes Villa a far more dangerous prospect.
Ollie Watkins is showing signs of life for Aston Villa, with the hope he can fire them to the Champions League
The England forward scored the only goal of the game as Villa beat Lille in the first leg of their Europa League tie
Last term, Emery preferred first Jhon Duran and then Marcus Rashford to Watkins and Villa would have sold him in 2025 had the right offer arrived. Yet despite Watkins’ sluggish form, it has been a different story this season.
Donyell Malen rarely had a look in and even though Tammy Abraham has scored twice since rejoining in January, he has yet to displace Watkins as Emery’s No1 striker.
Even though Villa had won just one of their previous seven matches before this game, Emery likes to stick to what he knows. Injuries have hurt Villa in 2026 and Emery was delighted to bring on captain John McGinn as a late substitute for his first appearance since January 18.
Two years ago, Emi Martinez wound up the home crowd here as Villa beat Lille on penalties in the Europa Conference League. Already disliked in this country for his part in Argentina’s win over France in the 2022 World Cup Final, Martinez returned as public enemy No1.
Only two minutes were on the clock when Martinez, revelling in his role as pantomime villain, was given the hurry-up by the officials. It gave the home fans another excuse to hurl abuse and you suspect Martinez would not have it any other way.
Despite only one goal in 2026, was given the nod again and the early signs were not good as the England forward overhit a pass wildly with three team-mates available. Soon afterwards Morgan Rogers and Douglas Luiz were bickering when Rogers delivered a similarly poor ball.
From the opening exchanges, it felt like these teams would have signed for a 0-0 before kick-off. When Martinez had the ball at his feet Lille were reluctant to press and that led to periods of stalemate. Rogers was trying to get Villa going and he released Luiz, only for the Brazilian to shoot instead of trying to find the unmarked Watkins.
On the half-hour mark, Watkins waited at the far post to turn in Amadou Onana’s cross but it was cut out brilliantly by a sliding Aissa Mandi. As before, it had been Rogers who had started the attack with a burst into a Lille territory and a pass to Onana.
Emiliano Martinez was again the pantomime villain, booked for time-wasting late on
That escape seemed to shake Lille awake. Six months short of his 40th birthday, former Arsenal and Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud sent Romain Perraud clear down the left and his cross was guided a fraction wide by Ngal’Ayel Mukau, who may have been offside.
Referee Jose Maria Sanchez had no interest in giving Villa a penalty when Lamare Bogarde tumbled with Gaetan Perrin close by and then just before the interval, Giroud found space at the near post but could not direct Tiago Santos’ cross on target. Seconds later, Martinez spilled Perraud’s shot from distance and Pau Torres scrambled it clear.
The second half started as drearily as the first had and so when the deadlock was broken, it was a surprise. One of the smallest players on the pitch, Emi Buendia somehow managed to get his head to Ezri Konsa’s long pass forward.
And there was Watkins, spotting Berke Ozer off his line and looping his header over the Lille keeper. Suddenly Villa’s spirits were up and Onana let fly from 30 yards, with the ball travelling narrowly wide. Watkins should have had a second, too, as he sprang Lille’s high-line and raced clear before losing control as he tried to take the ball around Ozer.
Jeered relentlessly, Martinez made an important save midway through the second half when he pushed away an angled effort from substitute Matias Fernandez-Pardo. At the other end, Buendia came close to converting a cross from Rogers before Martinez made another big stop from sub Felix Correia. Naturally, Martinez was booked for time-wasting late on. Some things never change.
