Aston Villa fans praise 25-year-old despite defeat to Liverpool

By Dom Toner

Aston Villa were beaten in the closing stages of their Premier League match against Liverpool on Saturday – but some of the club’s fans on Twitter did at least credit their player Ollie Watkins for his tireless display in attack.

Dean Smith’s side suffered a crushing 2-1 loss on their trip to Anfield, as Trent Alexander-Arnold snatched three points for the hosts in stoppage time.

Villa had earlier gone in front via their leading frontman Watkins, who scored for the second game in a row with a smart low finish.

But second-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Alexander-Arnold inflicted late pain on the Midlands club.

Villa, who were still without captain Jack Grealish, looked like they were set to grind out a point before having it snatched away from them.

(Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

A selection of the club’s fans on social media named Watkins as their brightest spark.

The 25-year-old centre-forward was rewarded for his relentless energy with a goal, and the way he chases down every ball sets the tone for his team.

It’s remarkable to think this has been his first year in the top flight, as he’s looked a complete natural, and that was recently rewarded with a senior England debut.

Here are some Villa fans discussing Watkins:

https://twitter.com/Hodsie/status/1380915613703495687