Updated 14:36 15 Apr 2023 GMT+1Published 14:21 15 Apr 2023 GMT+1

Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins 'bullied' Newcastle with stunning brace, Unai Emery has transformed him into an 'absolute monster'

"When did Ollie Watkins turn into Zlatan Ibrahimovic?" The Aston Villa star scored a second-half brace in his side's 3-0 win over Newcastle.

Adnan Riaz

Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins has been hailed for his red-hot goalscoring form after fans suggested that Unai Emery has turned him into an “absolute monster.”

Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring for Villa in the first half against Newcastle on Saturday before Watkins bagged a brace to extend his side’s lead in the second half at Villa Park.

Watkins has been in sensational form since the Premier League resumed after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the 27-year-old Villa star scoring 12 times and registering three assists.

The England international found the back of the net against Newcastle after his touch to Emi Buendia allowed his teammate to pick out Alex Moreno on the left.

Watkins then received the ball from a low cross and the in-form Villa forward took one touch before turning and finishing to put his side 2-0 up.

The in-form Villa star then completed his brace in the 83rd minute after Buendia played a low cross into his path, with Watkins’ low shot taking a slight deflection.

Fans flocked to social media to praise Watkins for his remarkable form for Villa, with one supporter suggesting Emery’s side could challenge for the top four.

One fan said: “When did Ollie Watkins turn into Zlatan Ibrahimovic?”

Someone else added: “He’s been frustrating over the past few seasons but what a rich vein of form he’s currently in!”

“Ollie Watkins has ABSOLUTELY bullied the Newcastle defence,” a third tweeted.

Another Twitter user wrote: “Emery has created an absolute monster in Ollie Watkins.”

While one fan commented: “Ollie Watkins is playing at a top, top level. Villa in [the] top four by end of the season if he keeps this up?”

A sixth posted: “Ollie Watkins is the hottest striker in the teams below the top two... no doubt!”

Villa are sixth in the league table after their 3-0 victory over Newcastle, but Emery’s men are only three points behind fifth-place Tottenham.

And the Premier League side are six points adrift of fourth-place Manchester United and third-place Newcastle.

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Featured Image Credit: Twitter/BT Sport

Topics: Ollie Watkins, England, Premier League, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Football, Unai Emery, Fan Reactions

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9