Watkins sends message to Emery after display vs Magpies sees him channel his ‘anger’ into tangible performance.
Watkins channelled ‘anger’ into ‘dynamite’ display as Aston Villa thump Newcastle 4-1.
The striker said that he had been “fuming” to play just as a substitute in Villa’s quarterfinal Champions League matches against Paris St-Germain.
However, he managed his rage well against Newcastle on Saturday, scoring in the first minute and creating another to lead his team to an incredible 4-1 victory.
With his goal, he tied Gabriel Agbonlahor as Villa’s top Premier League goalscorer at number 74.
Watkins is not particularly happy with the fact that, in spite of his record-tying achievements, he has only started two of the team’s last six games.
“I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games. I am not going to lie, I was fuming that I wasn’t playing – I let him [Unai Emery] know that,” Watkins told Sky Sports.
“He’s the manager, you have to respect his decision, [but] I am not one of these players happy to sit on the bench.
“It is something I have not experienced before, to miss out on the biggest stage. I wanted to be out on the pitch for much longer. I have played a big part to get to where we are today and I want to play in those games.”
When asked about Watkins’ comments Emery replied: “It’s fantastic to be angry and fantastic for him to play like he did [against Newcastle].”
Watkins believes Emery will now have “a headache” over his next starting XI.
“I’m banging on the door asking why I’m not playing,” he added, while also pointing out Villa’s strength in depth.
“Since I have been at Villa, a lot of fans would say it is the best squad we have had.
“The signings we made in January, players like Rashford and [Marco] Asensio coming in, the quality means players like myself have to drop to the bench and there’s going to be lots of rotation.”