Aston Villa beat Liverpool 4-2 as Ollie Watkins exploits high line
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has revealed how a disjointed high defensive line allowed his side to secure a 4-2 victory over Liverpool at Villa Park on Friday.
The England international scored twice during a challenging night for the Merseyside club.
Defeat means the visitors missed a crucial opportunity to confirm their qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for the hosts before the away side temporarily equalised early in the second half.
However, a subsequent defensive collapse saw the visitors concede three further goals, including a spectacular long-range strike from John McGinn.
Targeting defensive vulnerabilities
The four goals shipped in the West Midlands mean Liverpool have now conceded 52 times during the current campaign.
This defensive tally is already 11 goals worse than their entire record last season, with one fixture still remaining.
The prolific forward boasts an exceptional personal record against the Reds, registering eight goals in just 12 career appearances.
Speaking after the match, the 28-year-old explained exactly why he finds it so straightforward to exploit space behind the opposition’s defence.
“Liverpool play a high line and don’t play offside so they’re disjointed at the back and feel like there’s a lot of space for me to run into,” Watkins told Sky Sports.
“No disrespect to them, the centre backs are world class but I spot space and opportunities.”
Capitalising on tight decisions
The Villa hitman admitted frustration at an earlier offside flag but quickly made amends alongside his attacking partners.
He praised a strong on-pitch connection with Rogers, which immediately resulted in a decisive close-range finish.
“Just before the goal, I was disappointed because I went offside, they play such a high line,” he added.
“I shouldn’t be offside in that position but to grab that goal a minute later, me and Morgan have a great connection.”
The striker also noted his relief when a Video Assistant Referee check ruled in his favour for a tap-in, following an initial missed attempt by teammate Pau Torres.
