Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has singled out Aston Villa center-forward Ollie Watkins for praise, branding the Englishman “a real threat” ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash.
Arsenal will travel to Villa Park for their Premier League meeting with Aston Villa on Saturday evening (December 9). The Gunners are currently sitting at the top of the English top-flight table with 36 points from 15 games. The Villans, meanwhile, have punched above their weight to climb up to third place in the rankings. They have secured 32 points so far from 15 games, with their most recent triumph coming against reigning English champions Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta Reveals How Arsenal Plan To Cope With Ollie Watkins
At an interview, Arteta was asked to name Arsenal’s key threat in Saturday’s game. Without hesitating, the Spaniard mentioned 27-year-old Watkins, noting the consistency he has shown over the last few seasons. Arteta said (via The Metro):
“He’s been tremendously consistent over the last few years. He is a real threat.”
Arteta also said that since Watkins was a big threat inside the box, his team would try to keep him away from the ball in the zone.
The manager added:
“Like all other strikers, don’t give him the ball in the box! That’s his main quality.”
Watkins has been in excellent form in the Premier League this season, chipping in eight goals and five assists in 15 appearances. He has also scored twice in four UEFA Europa Conference League matches.
Arteta Lauds Predecessor Unai Emery
Nearly three years after losing his Arsenal job, Unai Emery was appointed manager of Aston Villa. Last season, he led Villa to a respectable seventh-place finish in the Premier League before establishing themselves as a top-four contender this season.
Arteta has nothing but praise for the work Emery has done at Arsenal and other clubs and believes his countryman has the quality to get the best out of the teams he manages.
On Emery, Arteta added:
“He did some really good things here [Arsenal]. It’s not for me to judge that. The first season was a strong season.
“He did it straight away after coming from PSG, he then did incredibly well at Villarreal. And now he is doing really well at Aston Villa. He has a lot of experience and skill to get the best out of teams.”
Aston Villa are currently on a 14-game winning run at Villa Park. It will be interesting to see if Arsenal manage to break that streak this weekend.
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