Ollie Watkins delivered the ideal response to his recent England omission, scoring as Aston Villa secured a convincing 2-0 victory over West Ham United.
Left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for upcoming friendlies, Watkins answered his critics in style, ending his goal drought to help Villa boost their push for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Villa took control early at Villa Park, with John McGinn opening the scoring in the 15th minute.
A cleverly worked set-piece involving Matty Cash and Jadon Sancho caught the visitors off guard, allowing McGinn to curl a precise effort into the corner.
The hosts dominated the first half and came close to extending their lead, with Amadou Onana and Watkins both going close, while goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made several important saves to keep West Ham in the contest.
West Ham thought they had conceded a penalty when Konstantinos Mavropanos was adjudged to have fouled Watkins, but the decision was overturned after replays showed he had won the ball cleanly.
The defender later produced a vital goal-line clearance to deny Morgan Rogers.
The visitors improved slightly after the break, with Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals testing Villa’s defence, but they struggled to find a cutting edge.
Villa eventually sealed the win in the 68th minute. Rogers drove forward and saw his effort spilled by Hermansen, leaving Watkins with a simple finish to end his six-game league drought.
The victory ended Villa’s four-match winless run and strengthened their Champions League hopes, especially after slip-ups from rivals.
For West Ham, however, the defeat dealt a setback to their survival bid as they remain locked in a tense relegation battle.
