Unai Emery has simple Ollie Watkins-Tammy Abraham decision ahead of Aston Villa vs Chelsea
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Credit: Imago Unai Emery has simple Ollie Watkins-Tammy Abraham decision ahead of Aston Villa vs Chelsea Tue 3 March 2026 18:15, UK Tammy Abraham has been pushing to replace Ollie Watkins as Unai Emery’s first-choice striker at Aston Villa.The Villans had been pushing to challenge in the Premier League title race, but after a draw with Leeds United and a defeat against Wolves, they have fallen to fourth in the table.Supporters were very positive about the second half of the campaign after agreeing deals for Abraham and Douglas Luiz, and the centre-forward has already netted twice in six appearances.Football Insider revealed last month that Villa plan to allow Watkins to leave, with the England international struggling for form this season, but there are several key games left.Credit: Imago ⚽ Aston Villa Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Aston Villa fixture. VISIT THE VILLA MATCH HUBAston Villa fans are expecting Tammy Abraham to start vs ChelseaAfter notching 40 goal contributions during the 2023-24 campaign, adding another 17 goals and 14 assists to his record last term, the current season has been a huge disappointment for the striker.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES The 30-year-old only has eight goals and a single assist to his name across all competitions, scoring just once in his last 11 games, sparking calls for Abraham to lead the line against Chelsea.Emery has just over 24 hours before the game kicks off on Wednesday, 4 March, and after losing 2-0 to bottom-of-the-league Wolves, he will be under pressure to make huge changes.While the majority of fans would love to see Abraham given a chance to shine against his former club, Watkins’ last display against the Blues might just persuade Emery to do the opposite.Ollie Watkins loves playing against ChelseaAgainst the Old Gold, Villa fans were “sick” of Watkins.Back in December, however, Watkins was brought on for the final 30 minutes at Stamford Bridge, and within four minutes, he had already slotted an equaliser past Robert Sanchez.Six minutes before full-time, he rose highest to score an all-important winner, taking advantage of absolute chaos from Enzo Maresca’s team, netting his second brace of the month.The game is unlikely to play out exactly the same, but if Watkins is to get his form back, a home game against Liam Rosenior’s side could be the perfect opponent for the talented centre-forward. 👔 Aston Villa Manager News 👔 Get the inside track on the Villa Park dugout with real-time updates on shortlisted candidates and technical leadership strategy. VISIT THE MANAGER HUB