Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes Aston Villa striker Danny Ings is ‘probably a better goalscorer’ than fellow forward Ollie Watkins.

The pair have been battling it out all season to become the club’s leading marksman in what’s perhaps been a frustrating campaign for both players.

What is the latest news involving Ings?

Ings only arrived at Villa Park back in August as previous manager Dean Smith splash out £25 million to secure his services from Southampton.

The three-cap England international was one of the attacking talents charged with replacing Jack Grealish in the Midlands outfit’s forward line following his British-record move to Manchester City.

And things got off to a good start for Ings under the tutelage of Smith, with the diminutive ace racking up five goal contributions in his opening eight Premier League games for his new side.

However, things have quickly turned sour for Ings. The 29-year-old has only found the back of the net on one occasion in his last 10 games for Villa as he’s slipped down the pecking order.

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Since the arrival of new manager Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool striker has started just four top-flight fixtures out of a possible 12, with Watkins being preferred up front.

The English tactician favours a 4-3-3 formation, meaning there is only room for one No.9 on the pitch, and currently, that means Ings is having to make do with a place on the substitute's bench.

What has O’Rourke said about Aston Villa?

Despite Gerrard often selecting Watkins over Ings in his starting XI’s, the 26-year-old has only scored one more goal than his colleague throughout 2021/22.

And O’Rourke believes Villa’s boss may be leaving his best goalscorer on the bench.

In an exclusive interview, he told GiveMeSport: “Obviously, the change in formation has not helped Danny Ings with Ollie Watkins playing that lone striker role.

“But I think if you're looking goals, Danny Ings is probably a better goalscorer than Ollie Watkins.”

Is Ings a better goalscorer than Watkins?

Throughout his career, Ings has been prolific at every club he’s played for, registering 135 goals and assists in 303 appearances.

Although Watkins has bettered that tally by one, the 26-year-old has played the majority of his games at a lower level, with the vast majority coming in either the Championship or League Two.

Only time will tell who Gerrard eventually decides to lead his line week in week out, but it’s surely set to be a fierce tussle between two talented attackers.