Unai Emery issues warning to Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins: "They have to accept that"

Aston Villa prima Ollie Watkins has not yet matched his efforts from past season, contempt England success, and has contention from Jhon Duran for his presumption up beforehand astatine Villa Park

Unai Emery says Ollie Watkins volition person to get utilized to Jhon Duran breathing down his neck.

Aston Villa’s boss said helium was blessed with his options up beforehand but says that without the young Colombian during the aboriginal portion of the season, their club’s signifier would person suffered.

Watkins was given the motion ahead of Harry Kane by interim brag Lee Carsley during England’s outing successful Greece past week. But his commitments during the summertime with the Three Lions delayed a instrumentality to the goalscoring signifier of past year.

Watkins has collected 1 extremity successful 8 for Villa with Duran catching the oculus with a drawstring of cameo performances disconnected the bench. And Emery says that his spearhead needs to beryllium hardened for the conflict for his spot.

He said: “Watkins is precise important for us. Circumstances tin alteration due to the fact that we are gathering the squad with 2 players for each presumption to beryllium competitory and to perform.

“Maybe the process we had 2 years agone was antithetic with Watkins and Jhon Duran. We’ve accrued our levels done those 2 players. They person to judge that determination is 2 players competing for 1 position.

"And if performing astatine a precocious level that is, for me, positive. Watkins has to judge and helium has to accommodate rapidly to his caller position.

"He needed clip to get acceptable and assured again similar past twelvemonth and we needed Duran helping him, successful the past 30 minutes, scoring goals. If we didn’t person Jhon helping similar helium did astatine that clip possibly we wouldn’t person the points we person now.

"This is the astir important thing, the team, the squad, the players, the team-mates. Always a committedness to help.

"Sometimes we person to negociate differently, the players person to judge that with the caller circumstances I americium trying ever to get the champion situation."

Villa adjacent invited Crystal Palace to Villa Park arsenic they bid to bounce backmost from 3 Premier League matches without a win. The Eagles person already tasted triumph against Emery's broadside successful the Carabao Cup.

Aston Villa nevertheless beryllium ninth successful the part and are conscionable a azygous constituent distant from third-placed Chelsea. Palace meantime are 11 points down and prevarication successful the relegation portion aft 11 matches.

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