Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has backed Ollie Watkins to regain his place in the England squad after the striker scored in a 2-0 victory over West Ham. Watkins, who has struggled for form this season, was omitted from Thomas Tuchel's squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, but responded with a second-half goal at Villa Park.
Emery praised Watkins’ determination, saying: 'He's a fighter. Three years ago, he was not involved in the national team, and he deserved to be there. Now again, he's out, but he must recover his fight, like he did today.' Watkins acknowledged his dip in form, telling Sky Sports: 'Everyone wants to play for their country but I expected that because my form has not been that great.'
The win, which came after John McGinn opened the scoring, moved Villa six points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea. Emery hailed his side's response after a run of one win in six Premier League games. 'When you are not winning, everything looks more difficult,' he said. 'Today we did it; the players were fantastic.'
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo was critical of his team's performance, saying: 'It was not a good performance. We lost duels and never broke them down. We expected much more from ourselves.' The defeat leaves the Hammers in the relegation battle, though they remain within touching distance of safety.
