Overview
- A 2-0 defeat at Liverpool ended Villa’s winning run, with an Emiliano Martínez distribution error preceding Mohamed Salah’s opener and Ryan Gravenberch adding a second.
- Ollie Watkins recorded no shots, nine completed passes and 18 touches at Anfield, extending a season in which he has just one goal and no assists.
- Across 10 league games Villa have scored nine goals with an xG of about 7.5, rank low for big chances and accurate crosses, and struggle in dribbles and ball retention.
- Watkins’ personal metrics have slumped to an xG of 1.74 with only three shots on target and a 7.1% conversion rate, far below last season’s levels.
- Wayne Rooney and Ashley Williams questioned Emery’s insistence on playing out from the back rather than using Watkins’ runs, as fan analysis urges January striker depth, with Youri Tielemans’ return to training this week viewed as a potential creative lift.