Ollie Watkins Scores Once and Declares Saudi League Premier League Quality

Ollie Watkins marked his Al-Hilal debut by scoring once and gathering sufficient evidence to describe Saudi Arabian football as “Premier League quality”.

The England striker joined Al-Hilal from Aston Villa on a three-year contract, with the Saudi Pro League club reportedly paying approximately £51 million.

Two days after the transfer was confirmed, Watkins came off the bench during Al-Hilal’s 3-0 victory over title rivals Al-Ahli. He had a goal ruled out for offside before scoring with a back-post header during the closing stages.

It represented an effective first appearance: one victory, one goal and one completed comparison between two national leagues.

“The level I saw here today was honestly of Premier League quality,” Watkins said after the match.

The 30-year-old described the game as physically demanding and said the standard had been extremely high. He also admitted that the intensity surprised him when he entered the pitch.

Watkins is reasonably well qualified to judge Premier League football. He spent six seasons with Aston Villa, scoring a club-record 91 Premier League goals and 108 times across all competitions.

His practical experience of the Saudi Pro League currently consists of part of one match.

Watkins did explain that he had watched Al-Hilal perform at the Club World Cup before accepting the move and was already familiar with the quality within his new team. The club’s squad includes Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinković-Savić, Theo Hernández and Kalidou Koulibaly.

However, his wider verdict arrived immediately after his first competitive appearance in the country.

Players joining a new league traditionally require several matches to adjust to its standard, intensity and tactical demands. Watkins completed the assessment before completing 90 minutes.

The Saudi Pro League may ultimately prove comparable to the Premier League. Watkins has so far required one substitute appearance to confirm it.