‘In our hands’ – Ollie Watkins confident despite heavy Spurs defeat for Aston Villa

Aston Villa succumbed to a heavy 4-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon, but striker Ollie Watkins believes his team can bounce back and still secure a place in the Champions League by finishing in the top four this season.

Premier League fans may well have witnessed a season-altering result today, as fifth-placed Tottenham demolished fourth-placed Aston Villa to close the gap between the teams to just two points, with the Lilywhites having a game in hand.

The usually free-scoring Villa were unable to get past Spurs today, while the away side controlled the game throughout.

Goals from James Maddison and Brennan Johnson early in the second half gave Spurs a cushion, while late goals from Heung-min Son and Timo Werner completed the victory.

Can Villa still secure a top-four spot?

Many will now feel Spurs have swung the race for the top four in their favour, but Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins insists his team can push past this disappointment and still qualify for the Champions League.

Speaking after the game (via BBC Sport) he said: “Really disappointing. First half I felt like we had a few opportunities on the break, I had one myself. Second half, we’ve come out a little bit slow, they’ve scored two goals really quickly. It’s very difficult against a good side to come back from 2-0. Obviously, with our captain getting sent off as well, it’s difficult.

“I can definitely do better, as a team we can do better. But look, this game doesn’t define us. We’ve done unbelievable to get where we are today. We’ve still got a lot of football to play. The sending off I think is harsh. Obviously, it looks a little bit reckless because it’s in front of their bench and a big reaction from their side. It’s obviously a tough one to take.

“If someone says you lose the game but you finish with 10 men then I’d take that. John McGinn is so important for us. That’s the biggest nail in the coffin, losing him for three games. I believe in us, [Champions League qualification] is in our hands.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Hopefully, this can really swing all the momentum in our favour now. We’ve got some incredibly tough games coming up, but the team will be feeling very positive off the back of this and will not fear anyone.

Related Topics