Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has admitted FA Cup semi-final opponents Crystal Palace are a “bogey side” for his club.
Speaking on whether boss Unai Emery will have a plan for them, he said: “Yeah, I’m sure he does. Obviously, quick turnaround and we have to get over Manchester City now.
“But we’ve got all our faith in the manager that he’ll get the tactics right.
“Obviously, Palace have been a bit of a bogey team for us, but on our day we’re capable of beating anyone and everyone’s looking forward to that. Just bring on the weekend, really.”
After the late disappointment against City on Tuesday, Watkins is already looking forward to the opportunity of making the FA Cup final, and says it has been a target for him ever since making the switch to Villa Park.
“I think this is the furthest we’ve gone in the FA Cup since I’ve been at the club,” he said. “We’ve always gone out quite early doors and it’s disappointing. You want to win these competitions and it’s nice that we’re in the latter stages of it.
“I’ve been saying to the boys that one thing I set my eyes on when I joined the club was winning a trophy.
“It’s been so long since the club has done that and that’s the main aim. Saturday is massive and we will be doing all we can to get to the final.”
Full commentary of Crystal Palace v Aston Villa from 17:15 BST on Saturday on BBC Radio 5 Live
