Al Hilal Beat Al Ahli 3-0 as Watkins Scores on Debut

Al Hilal defeated Al Ahli 3-0 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on 1 September 2026, in a Roshn Saudi Pro League fixture that had been postponed from the third round of the 2026-27 season. The headline moment came from new signing Ollie Watkins, who scored on his debut.

The visitors were forced to chase the game from the start. Merih Demiral opened the scoring deep in first-half stoppage time (45+7'), giving Al Hilal a crucial lead heading into the break. A second goal early in the second half extended the advantage to 2-0 and settled the contest.

Watkins then capped the evening with a back-post header in the 86th minute to make it 3-0. It was his first league goal for the club, arriving in his very first appearance in Saudi colours.

The forward joined Al Hilal from Aston Villa in late August 2026 on a three-year contract. Reports put the transfer fee at around £50-51 million plus small add-ons, described elsewhere as roughly €58 million with €2 million in add-ons. Using indicative exchange rates in early September 2026, that corresponds to an approximate 240-246 million ريال سعودي, though these are market estimates rather than officially published figures.

Why it matters

The result strengthens Al Hilal's early standing in the league and offers an immediate return on a marquee summer signing. For fans in the Kingdom, Watkins' quick impact underlines the continued flow of high-profile talent into the Roshn Saudi Pro League. The evening kickoff at Kingdom Arena added to the growing profile of top-flight football as a fixture on the Riyadh sporting calendar. Tickets and pricing for such matches are handled through club and league commercial channels.

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