Ollie Watkins rips Unai Emery for Marcus Rashford decision in frightening interview following Newcastle win
In response to Unai Emery's choice to start Marcus Rashford up front in both legs of Aston Villa's quarterfinal Champions League matchup against PSG, Ollie Watkins led his team to a decisive 4-1 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League, putting them back in the running for the top five.
Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, has come under fire from Ollie Watkins for his choice to start Marcus Rashford in the Champions League.
Aston Villa defeated Newcastle United 4-1 at Villa Park on Saturday night to earn a season-defining victory. This put them tied with Nottingham Forest, who now hold the fifth Champions League berth, on points.
After being benched for teammate Rashford during the Champions League matches against Paris Saint-Germain, some fans were taken aback to see striker Watkins in the starting lineup prior to the match.
Just one minute into the game, the Englishman opened the score to silence his sceptics. In his post-match interview, he then attacked his boss.
The Birmingham team lost 5-4 on aggregate to PSG, eliminating them from the Champions League quarterfinals despite a fiercely contested second leg at Villa Park.
Watkins is not pleased that he was kept off the field for both games and only played 33 minutes overall to have an impact.
Speaking after the massive win over Newcastle, Watkins told Sky Sports: "Champions League, we've put in a lot of hard graft in the last few years to get to that position.
"I won't lie; I was furious that I wasn't playing in both of the games against PSG, even though I played 20 minutes.
"I informed Emery of that. The end of the day, he is the manager. I honour his choice. However, I'm not among the athletes that enjoy being benched.
"Missing out on the biggest stage—something you always want to play in, especially in the Champions League—is something I haven't experienced before," he continued.
"As I mentioned, the manager has the last say, but myself and a few others are sad that we didn't start the game.
"We did defeat them in the end, but certainly not by a wide margin. Although the squad performed admirably, I wished I could have spent more time on the pitch. Since I've contributed significantly to our current situation, I wanted to start in the crucial games."
