Ollie Watkins is unhappy with the bit-part role he has played for Aston Villa of late, though Unai Emery is hoping to pair him with Marcus Rashford in attack at some point.

Watkins came off the bench to score following a brilliant Youri Tielemans assist as Villa beat Southampton 3-0 in their most recent Premier League game, boosting their hopes of Champions League qualification for 2025-26.

He has only started one of Villa's last five games, however, with Rashford leading the line from the off at Southampton and in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain last week.

And Watkins, who was reportedly the subject of a £60million bid from Arsenal in the January transfer window, is not happy with playing second fiddle. 

"For me, I'm not happy to sit on the bench," Watkins said. "It's disappointing every game that I'm on the bench, but it's the manager's decision at the end of the day."

Marco Asensio had two penalties saved by Aaron Ramsdale in Villa's win at Southampton, and Watkins was visibly disappointed not to take the second of those spot-kicks, having won the first one.

Watkins has scored 73 Premier League goals for Villa, putting him one behind Gabriel Agbonlahor's club record of 74.

"Am I aware of the record? Of course I am," Watkins said. "That is why I wanted to take the penalty as well, to equal it, then one more to get the record. 

"Two more to beat it. I am thinking of breaking it. I will do it at some point and I'm looking forward to that day."

A sensational finish from Ollie after that ping from Youri   pic.twitter.com/o0p92SDX4X

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 12, 2025

Villa face PSG on Tuesday, needing a big win to have a chance of extending their European run, following a 3-1 defeat in the French capital last week.

And boss Emery believes Watkins and Rashford can play alongside one another, though he wants to work with two strikers on the training ground before putting it into action.

"The next step – if I have time – is to play them together," Emery told reporters on Tuesday.

"We did with Rashford playing left side but now we are choosing more with both playing as strikers. 

"That's the next step. I want to practice, I want to test but not now, with enough time."

Villa's first-leg defeat was the third time they have lost by two or more goals in the first leg of a knockout stage tie in major European competition.

They failed to progress in each of the previous two instances (1-5 on aggregate versus Royal Antwerp in 1975-76 in the UEFA Cup and 2-6 v Olympiakos last season in the Conference League).