Ollie Watkins Shines in Al-Hilal Victory Over Al-Taawoun
Ollie Watkins did not ease his way into life at Al-Hilal. He tore into it.
On a hot night in Buraidah, the England striker produced a performance that would not have looked out of place back in his Premier League prime, driving Al-Hilal to a dominant win over Al-Taawoun in the seventh round of the Saudi Roshn League.
The tone was set early. In the ninth minute, Ruben Neves launched a trademark long ball from midfield, and Watkins read it quicker than anyone. He spun away, surged clear of the defence and, with the kind of cold-blooded composure Aston Villa fans know well, slid his finish past the goalkeeper to break the deadlock.
Al-Taawoun never really recovered from that first punch.
Al-Hilal kept coming, the visitors swarming forward with confidence, and Watkins stayed on the shoulder of the last defender, always threatening to burst in behind. The pressure finally told again after the interval.
By the 56th minute, Al-Hilal were already cruising, and Watkins wanted more. Picking up the ball after a powerful run from midfield left him one-on-one, he drove into the space, straightened his run and calmly tucked away his second of the night and his team’s fifth. Simple on the eye. Brutal on the scoreboard.
That goal sealed his first brace in Al-Hilal colours since his summer move from Aston Villa, a reminder of the double strikes that became his signature in England. The 30-year-old hit five braces for Villa last season alone, including back-to-back doubles against Liverpool and Manchester City in the final two rounds of the Premier League campaign.
This, in Saudi Arabia, felt like a continuation of that storyline rather than a new chapter.
Watkins had already opened his account on debut with a goal in a 3-0 win over Al-Ahli, then endured quieter nights against Al-Shabab and Neom. Any questions about form or adaptation were swept aside in Buraidah, as he rediscovered the ruthless edge that made him one of the most feared forwards in England.
If this is how quickly he is settling into Al-Hilal’s attack, defenders across the Saudi Roshn League have been given fair warning.
