Aston Villa suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at Brighton on Sunday as Ollie Watkins was left out of the squad amid growing talk of a move to Saudi Arabia.
Villa manager Unai Emery did not deny reports that Watkins had refused to play. The England striker is considering a move to Al-Hilal, who have already made several bids for the 30-year-old forward.
Emery faced a major problem in attack before the match. Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham were both unavailable through injury. Watkins was also missing, leaving Emery with few options in attack.
The Villa boss had to use Emiliano Buendía as an emergency striker. The change did not work as Villa quickly lost control of the game.
Brighton scored four times in the first 31 minutes. Villa then suffered another blow when new signing João Gomes was sent off in the 40th minute.
Gomes was dismissed after kicking up at Brighton forward Georginio Rutter. The incident came after Rutter had won the ball from the Villa midfielder.
The defeat left Emery facing major questions about his squad and the club’s transfer plans. Villa have already lost several key players during a difficult summer.
Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have all left the club. Emiliano Martínez is also expected to leave before the transfer window closes.
Villa would clearly like to sign a new striker if Watkins moves to Saudi Arabia. However, finding a replacement so late in the window could prove difficult.
Al-Hilal have made several offers for Watkins, but Villa have rejected them so far. The striker is understood to be open to the move.
Emery was asked why Watkins was not included against Brighton. His answer did little to end the growing questions.
“This question is for him,” Emery said. He was then asked if Watkins had refused to play.
“I think you can call him and you can call his agent and he can respond,” Emery said.
Emery was also asked if he felt let down by Watkins. The Villa manager again made clear that he could not speak for the player.
“He can only explain his answer, I can’t,” Emery said.
Watkins’ agent has been contacted for a response.
The forward has been an important player for Villa since joining the club. His pace, movement and goals have made him a key part of Emery’s attack.
His possible departure would therefore leave Villa with a major gap to fill. The problem is even greater because the club already has injury concerns in attack.
Emery said Madjo could be out for around two more weeks. Johan Manzambi, another attacking option, also needs more time before returning.
The manager did not give a clear date for Abraham’s return. That left Villa short of attacking options for the Brighton match.
Despite the poor result, Emery said he was encouraged by his players’ response after half-time. He also insisted that Villa could still find solutions for the rest of the season.
However, he admitted that the build-up to the new campaign had been difficult.
“Two strikers are injured and another striker gives his answer,” Emery said.
Villa now have little time to solve their problems. The transfer window is close to its end, while the team must also recover from a painful opening defeat.
The club will need to decide whether Watkins will stay or leave. If he moves to Al-Hilal, Villa must act quickly to find a replacement.
For Emery, the immediate task is to restore confidence after the Brighton defeat. The Watkins situation has added another layer of pressure to an already difficult start.
