Aston Villa boost Champions Lague hopes

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Aston Villa 1 - 0 Fulham

Aston Villa recovered from their FA Cup semi-final defeat as they overcame Fulham in the Premier League to boost hopes of a top-five finish.

Author - Peter Grainger 

Stadium - Villa Park

English football ~ 24/25 run in - Premier League | Villa v Fulham

Unai Emery's side were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Wembley last time out but put that disappointment behind them with a hard-fought victory.

After such an exciting run in this season's Champions League, they'll be hoping for another run at the competition next season. 

A closer look at what happened

After a fairly even and balanced start, Villa took the lead in the 12th minute. Youri Tielemans rose to meet John McGinn’s inswinging corner and powered a header beyond Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Ollie Watkins had a chance to double Villa’s advantage early in the second half but was unable to make telling contact with Matty Cash’s driven ball across the face of goal.

Fulham thought they had found a way back when Ryan Sessegnon fired home with a low left-footed strike, only for the goal to be ruled out for handball in the build-up.

READ MORE: Villa 4 - 1 Newcastle United

READ MORE: Premier League: 2024/2025 season

Leno kept Fulham in contention when he saved well from Watkins after a precise through ball from Morgan Rogers. Donyell Malen later struck the crossbar with a powerful effort as Villa looked to put the result beyond doubt.

At the other end, Fulham struggled to threaten Emiliano Martínez and were unable to find a response. Marco Silva’s side slip to ninth following Bournemouth’s victory at Arsenal later in the day, and they finished the weekend in the bottom half after other results.

Villa fans respond

English football ~ 24/25 run in - Premier League | Villa v Fulham pre match

There was a mixed reaction from supporters following Aston Villa’s narrow win over Fulham, with many acknowledging the importance of the result while expressing concern over aspects of the performance.

"Some of the Villa players looked tired after a long season," said Cassie. "It was a game they needed to win, but they didn’t take advantage when Fulham were down to ten men. Boubacar Kamara is an unsung hero and again he played a blinder."

Ian took a more pragmatic view, commenting: "It was a very controlled, solid performance with a good early goal, but missed chances made for a nervy ending. I suppose with so much at stake, it is only to be expected."

Tony was less impressed by the display overall. "It was a disjointed performance against a pedestrian opponent, with little to really shout about apart from the points," he said. "Youri Tielemans worked tirelessly and was the pick of the bunch, and Donyell Malen impressed when he came on. Ollie Watkins had another day to forget, sadly. Only the points make any impression after this match."

Location: Aston, Birmingham B6 4AH, UK

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