Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has cited "personal abuse" from a fan as the reason behind his pointed celebration against former club Brentford.
The 27-year-old England international, who joined Aston Villa from Brentford in 2020 for a then-club record £33 million, scored the winner for Unai Emery's side on Sunday.
And after finding the net, Watkins put his hands on his hips and pointed directly into the West Stand – an action that sparked a mass brawl.
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Four players were shown yellow cards as a result, and the remaining 18 minutes involved a total of 10 bookings, as well as a sending off for Villa's Boubacar Kamara.
Watkins, meanwhile, was continually booed for his celebrations in the final stages.
Speaking about the incident after the full-time whistle, Watkins said he had been "agitated" by the persistent abuse from one fan in particular.
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“It was a bit of a feisty game, it all spurred from my celebration but that’s not down to a lack of respect for the fans,” Watkins told Sky Sports.
“I love the club, the players and staff, I’ve not got a bad word to say against them. But there was one person who was abusing me all game, the celebration wasn’t to anyone else but it was directed directly at him.
“(Thomas Frank) asked me why I had celebrated like that, I’m still on texting terms with him but it’s because of that reason.
“I feel like I’ve done so much for the club and they’ve done so much for me, football’s football and you can have a bit of banter but not when it’s personal.
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“If the club don’t believe me it’s up to them — but I’ve explained it to Thomas and he knows I wouldn’t do that for no reason. It agitated me and that’s what happened.”
The Athletic claim Watkins' celebration was directed at the Brentford supporter who insulted his family.
Thomas Frank, meanwhile, said he has no problem with Watkins after his celebrations in front of his former supporters sparked a melee.
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After their latest win, Aston Villa sit third in the Premier League table, just one point behind leaders Arsenal. Brentford, meanwhile, sit 12th.
Topics: Aston Villa, Brentford, Premier League, Ollie Watkins, England
Jack Kenmare