This was a narky, gnarly narrow victory but Aston Villa will not mind. After missing out on a Champions League semi-final and an FA Cup final over the previous two matches, Unai Emery’s team enhanced their chances of the top-five finish in thePremier Leaguethat would return them to Europe’s elite competition after Youri Tielemans’ first-half header dented Fulham’s own bid for continental competition.
Villa have now equalled their 17-match record unbeaten home run in the Premier League, set during Emery’s first season here two years ago, and are level on points with Nottingham Forest, who visit Crystal Palace on Monday, and Chelsea, at home to Liverpool on Sunday, on 60 points.
Fulham have lost four of their five away games and must now hope eighth place will earn them a place in the Europa League, for which they must battle it out with Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford.
For all the relative achievements of these teams in the season to date, there was still so much to play for. Fulham, in with a chance of their highest Premier League finish – seventh, in 2008/09 – had their sights set on qualifying for Europe; Villa, notwithstanding their disappointment in departing two cups over the past 11 days, can qualify for the Champions League again with a prevailing wind.
Even to qualify for any European competition for a third successive season for the first time since Martin O’Neill’s time in charge 15 years ago would represent the progress under Emery. But, after followinga Europa Conference semi-finallast season with thatmemorable run to the last eightof the Champions League this, ending up in the Europa League come the end of this summer would feel like something of an anticlimax.
So taking the lead through Tielemans early in this game was just the pep they needed. With a tricky trip to Bournemouth next week, Villa finish the season with games against the likely Europa League finalists, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. So this game felt pivotal for them.
The early kick-off added to the bank holiday feeling. As the sunny morning gave way to the afternoon chill cloud, Villa needed to extend that superb home run, and show recharged batteries from the flat performance at Wembley when they were so supine in losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final.
Morgan Rogers set about attacking Fulham with vim, and played an incisive low diagonal for Marco Asensio whose reluctance to shoot with his right foot did at least earn a corner. John McGinn floated the cross in with his left foot and from near the front post Tielemans was not unduly troubled by markers as he headed powerfully home his fifth Villa goal of the season.
He came closest to doubling the lead when, in first-half stoppage time, the Belgian curled a superb right-footed shot from 25 yards just over the angle of post and bar.
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Fulham came out to play more in the second half which made for more of a frenetic match. Watkins missed the ball when he looked well set to tap home Matty Cash’s low right-wing cross within a minute of the restart and, after Sasa Lukic’s point-blank shot was bravely blocked by Ezri Konsa, Ryan Sessegnon’s drive into the bottom corner of the Villa goal was disallowed for his accidental handball.
Harry Wilson had a couple of very presentable chances for Fulham, through on goal with one and free to head goalwards from the other, that Emiliano Martínez saved with ease, before Watkins should have wrapped the points up. The England striker was sent in on goal by Rogers’ superbly swerved pass but, taking his time before shooting low towards the far bottom corner, allowed Bernd Leno to save with his feet.
Donyell Malen crashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar midway through the eight minutes of added time as Villa held on for the crucial victory.