Ollie Watkins insists Aston Villa have had an ‘amazing season’ after netting vital winner against Bournemouth to keep Champions League hopes alive

This was Ollie Watkins’ 116th match for club and country since the start of last season and by the final whistle the 29-year-old match-winner could barely move, even gesturing to the bench he should come off to eat up more time as Villa clung onto victory with 10 men.

Unai Emery’s men are digging very deep in their bid to return to the Champions League having been 10th at the end of February, and a run of seven wins in eight league games has put them right in the mix.

Two more mighty efforts are needed against Tottenham and Manchester United, both of them distracted by the Europa League, but Watkins is already proud at the team’s achievements this season.

‘If you’d told any Villa fan Champions League quarter-final, FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and down to the wire to fight for the Champions League again, they would have snapped your hand off,’ he said.

‘Two seasons ago, we came to Bournemouth of the first day, got beaten and everyone felt like the world was coming to an end. Football changes very quickly and I think it has been an amazing season.

Watkins (left) scored the only goal against Bournemouth as Villa closed the gap to the top five 

Watkins insisted his next aim is to reach 100 Premier League goals after his strike on Saturday

‘We’ve had such quick turnarounds between games playing in Europe you don’t get much recovery. But we don’t play again until Friday night so we are going to have a few days rest and we can leave everything out there against Tottenham.’

Watkins provided a deft one touch finish on the stroke of half time to win Saturday’s tea-time kick off. It was his 75th Premier League goal for Aston Villa passing Gaby Agbonlahor’s previous record.

Now he’s got his eyes set on another milestone which would be an impressive feat given he was nearly 25 when he first played in the top flight.

‘A hundred Premier League goals is on my list,’ he revealed. ‘I think that puts you in another category and I’m not too far off. 25 away, that can happen in a season.

‘And to win a trophy. We were all disappointed in how we performed against Crystal Palace in the semi-final.

For Bournemouth, it’s a case of licking their wounds, literally and metaphorically after Alex Scott was smashed in the jaw by Tyrone Mings’ flailing elbow and was replaced at half-time. The Cherries European aspirations have receded with Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez making two late saves after Jacob Ramsey had been sent off with 10 minutes left.