'Complete confidence' - Unai Emery backs struggling Aston Villa star to come good

But Emery says he has no doubt the 29-year-old will eventually recover the form which saw him score 45 times during the previous two campaigns.

Emery said: “Ollie Watkins, he has my confidence, completely my confidence.

“He’s always doing his task. Maybe he’s feeling under his normal confidence, playing matches, because he’s not scoring, but he’s never giving up his task.

“Always, he’s doing positive work for the team, and he’s very, very important for us. And the goals are coming, sure.”

Villa as a team are the lowest scorers in the top half of the Premier League but the statistics are skewed by the fact they failed to net until their fifth match of the season.

They have since reeled off seven wins in eight games and sit fourth in the table ahead of Wednesday’s trip to fifth-placed Brighton.

The Seagulls are themselves in excellent form and unbeaten on home turf so far, with Emery in no doubt they are serious rivals in the race for European football.

“How we are, how they are in the table, is really a fantastic job we have both been doing,” he said.

“Which team is contender to be in front, between us? Tomorrow, we’ll see it. Then, in 38 matches, how we are getting the performance, comparing with them.

“Focus for 90 minues, intense, playing personality is very important. Even like that, they can beat you because they are playing so, so intense. 

“They are playing with their style, dominating matches, against every team they are playing at home.

“Individually, as well, they are showing their quality, and they are playing with confidence.

“Of course it’s our rival. Now, it’s our rival, and we have two points in front of them, but tomorrow, we can win it, or we can lose it.”

The trip to Brighton begins a big month for Villa, who face leaders Arsenal twice and also have matches against Chelsea and Manchester United on the schedule.

But Emery, who will be without midfielder Ross Barkley for at least two months due to injury, is refusing to look any further ahead than Brighton

“This year, we started so poor,” he said. “Now we are good, but December and January? Hopefully. I don't know, hopefully.

“Of course, how we are now responding is really fantastic, but how we are going to respond tomorrow, we will see it.

“Of course, our demands are high, and our consistency is tested tomorrow again, and the rival is one of the better rivals we can face now, playing like how they are playing and how they are feeling strong in their stadium.”