You could see he was going to have a good game today by the first time he ran with the ball. I don't know if it's his gait or the way he carries it. There's just something tangiable about Watkins' style that means you can SEE if he's at it or not.
Either way, more than welcome. Would love to have him back in consistent form.
I find that his first touch is a key indicator of the kind of form he's in. When he's on form l, his first touch is generally good and the rest comes naturally after that. When it's not good, he's then trying to rectify that and ends up losing the ball more often than not.
There was one ball Watkins took under control that had me rubbing my eyes, absolutely first class technique, the type of skill you'd expect from a top international striker. When you're so used to the ball bouncing off him like he's wearing Ronald McDonald's boots, you have to wonder what suddenly changed? Whatever it was more of that please, it was a joy to watch.
Overall he had probably had his best game of the season yesterday, thanks in part to West Ham allowing us to play to his strengths, big mistake and they got off lightly despite being punished. Watkins had a smile on his face all game, he knows the fans still sing his name, Unai loves him and just as important his teammates trust him. The rest now is up to him.
Credit too for his goal, he used his upper body strength combined with his determination to get to the ball and then buried it with aplomb. It won't have gone unnoticed in Tuchel's living room. Fortunately for Watkins he's got enough games until the end of the season both in the league and hopefully in Europe to convince Tuchel and the whole country it's a no brainer him being on the plane to the World Cup.
Mission Day One: Successfully completed.
