WATKINS ANNOUNCES AL HILAL ARRIVAL WITH DEBUT GOAL IN 3-0 WIN OVER AL AHLI

Ollie Watkins made an immediate impact on his Al Hilal debut, scoring his first goal for the Saudi Arabian club as they secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League.

The England international, who recently completed a reported £50 million move from Aston Villa, was introduced from the bench at the start of the second half and needed only 41 minutes to make his mark. Watkins sealed the emphatic victory in the 86th minute when he rose to head home a cross, giving the home supporters at Kingdom Arena another reason to celebrate.

Al Hilal had already established control of the contest before Watkins found the net. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring in the ninth minute after beating the offside trap and finishing the opportunity presented to him.

The hosts doubled their advantage before the interval through Crysencio Summerville. The former West Ham United winger produced an impressive individual effort in the 23rd minute to put Al Hilal firmly in command of the match.

Al Ahli's chances of mounting a comeback suffered another blow shortly before half-time when defender Merih Demiral was shown a red card in stoppage time. The visitors were consequently forced to play the entire second half with 10 men, making it increasingly difficult for them to contain the hosts.

Watkins entered the match at the beginning of the second half and quickly became involved as Al Hilal continued to press for another goal. His persistence eventually paid off when he headed home in the closing stages to complete a memorable first appearance for his new club.

The 30-year-old striker joined Al Hilal after six successful seasons at Aston Villa, where he established himself as the club's leading Premier League goalscorer with 91 league goals. He also scored 108 goals in all competitions during his time at Villa and helped the English side win the Europa League last season.

Following his debut, Watkins expressed his delight at making such a positive start to his career in Saudi Arabia. He also praised the quality of the competition, saying the standard he experienced during the match was comparable to what he had encountered in the Premier League.

The victory maintained Al Hilal's perfect start to the new Saudi Pro League campaign. Simone Inzaghi's side have now won all four of their opening league matches, collecting 12 points and moving to the top of the standings ahead of Al Nassr on goal difference.

Watkins' arrival adds another high-profile attacking option to an already star-studded Al Hilal squad. His debut goal will also raise expectations among supporters who will be hoping that the former Aston Villa forward can reproduce the goalscoring form that made him one of the Premier League's most consistent strikers.

With his first goal already secured, Watkins will now look to build on the impressive introduction when Al Hilal return to action. His next challenge will be helping the club maintain its perfect start and strengthen its position at the top of the Saudi league.