LONDON, England (AFP) — Ollie Watkins said he hopes the Arsenal fans in his family witness him downing the Gunners on the England striker’s 30th birthd
ay on Tuesday.

Watkins came off the bench to maintain the momentum of Villa’s surprise English Premier League title challenge by scoring twice in a 2-1 win at Chelsea on Saturday.

Unai Emery’s men are just three points behind Arsenal and one adrift of Manchester City in a tight three-way title tussle.

Watkins revealed that plenty of his family members will be in attendance at the Emirates in midweek but is hoping not all of them leave happy with the outcome.

“I’ve got a lot of family coming to it that support them [Arsenal],” Watkins told Sky Sports. “So they can be at the other end and hopefully watch me have the same outcome as tonight in a couple of days.”

Despite Villa’s stunning form, Watkins had been suffering from a frustrating season prior to his double at Stamford Bridge.

He had scored just three times previously, while Emery revealed earlier this month that the striker has been battling knee discomfort for over a year.

But Watkins is hoping for a strong finish to the season with the carrot of making the England squad for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

“Obviously not where I want to be,” he said on his form this season.

“As a striker you want to be scoring every game. If you’re not doing that then you want to be playing well and helping the team.

“I feel like I’ve had some good performances this year, but maybe not at the standard that I’ve set for myself and put a bit of pressure on myself.

“I haven’t been where I wanted to be, but look I can use this as a marker now and and push on from here.”