Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
Watkins Calls for Aston Villa to Rebound in FA Cup Semi-Final
Ollie Watkins has urged Aston Villa to recover from their recent defeat against Manchester City by overcoming Crystal Palace, whom he described as their “bogey team,” in order to secure a spot in the FA Cup final. Following a 2-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium, Villa now aims to leverage the FA Cup semi-final to reignite their form and pursue silverware. The focus now shifts to securing a victory that would mark a significant achievement for the club.
Facing Crystal Palace in the FA Cup
Villa suffered a 2-1 setback at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, with Matheus Nunes scoring a 94th-minute winner. This defeat leaves them in seventh place in the Premier League, trailing Newcastle by two points in the quest for a Champions League qualification spot. The immediate opportunity to amend this comes in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Previous Encounters
- In their previous three meetings this season, Villa were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in October.
- A league encounter the following month ended in a 2-2 draw.
- They suffered a 4-1 defeat in February’s reverse fixture.
Watkins’ Perspective
Despite past results, Watkins remains optimistic. “Palace have been a bit of a bogey team for us, but on our day, we’re capable of beating anyone, and everyone’s looking forward to that,” he stated. “Just bring on the weekend, really.”
Chasing Club Glory
Aston Villa’s last major trophy was the 1996 League Cup. Watkins, a Villa player since 2020, expressed his eagerness to win a trophy with the club. “This is the furthest we’ve got in the FA Cup since I’ve been at the club. We’ve always gone out quite early, and it’s disappointing. You want to win these competitions, and it’s nice that we’re in the latter stages of it.”
“I’ve been saying to the boys, one thing I set my eyes on when I joined the club was winning a trophy. It’s been so long since the club has done that, and that’s the main aim, so Saturday is massive,” Watkins added.
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Team Selection and Preparation
Watkins also discussed being omitted from the starting lineup for the Manchester City game, with Marcus Rashford taking his place despite Watkins’ goal-scoring performance in the previous 4-1 victory at Newcastle. Rashford, who also scored against Paris Saint-Germain, converted a penalty in the match against City.
Watkins mentioned that Unai Emery typically announces the starting XI relatively late. “Sometimes the manager will tell us 30 minutes before we leave the hotel to head towards the stadium… everyone has to be prepared, really, and you never know what’s going to happen.” This underscores the importance of readiness and adaptability within the team.