Aston Villa remain in the hunt for Champions League qualification as Youri Tielemans scored the only goal of the game against Fulham at Villa Park on Saturday.
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Tielemans’ first half header was enough to seal the win, with Unai Emery’s side creating plenty of chances against a lackluster Fulham.
The win moves Villa to 60 points with three games to go, as they’re in touching distance with several teams in the race to finish in the top five. Fulham remain on 51 points and lost ground in their scrap to qualify for Europe.
Villa set to surge to the finish line
The scoreline didn’t reflect Villa’s dominance as Unai Emery’s side stepped up when it mattered most and have put themselves in a really good position as they aim to qualify for the Champions League. They have a tough test at Bournemouth next weekend but in their final two games they face Tottenham and Manchester United and both of those teams will be resting players if, as expected, they will face one another in the Europa League final. The final two fixtures have fallen kindly for Villa and if they can beat an intense Bournemouth side next weekend, Emery will be licking his chops. Given that Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest all have tough remaining games and have games against one another, they will drop points. If Villa win their final three games they will surely qualify for the Champions League.
Aston Villa vs Fulham player ratings (via FotMob.com)
What’s next?
Villa head to Bournemouth on Saturday, May 10, while Fulham host Everton on the same day.
Aston Villa vs Fulham score: 1-0
Tielemans 12'
Aston Villa vs Fulham live updates! - By Joe Prince-Wright
Malen hits the bar
The sub is in and under pressure from Andersen he beats Leno but the ball smashes the crossbar. Deep into stoppage time Villa almost seal the win. Unai Emery thought that was in, and so did everyone else!
Reed is off injured and Fulham have no subs left
Fulham will finish the game with 10 players because Harrison Reed has gone down with an injury and Fulham have no subs left. Unfortunate for the Cottagers.
Wilson should do better with a header
That is a big chance for Fulham as a cross is clipped in and Harry Wilson is unmarked but can’t get enough power on his header and sends it straight at Martinez. Marco Silva was not happy with that effort from Wilson.
Leno denies Watkins
Lovely pass from Rogers and Watkins is in, but Leno comes out and saves well down low. Watkins will probably want that one back, but he hit it hard and low.
Ramsey and Onana on
McGinn and Asensio are off and Ramsey and Onana are on. Villa are looking to shore things up in midfield with Kamara, Tielemans and Onana a solid trio.
Sessegnon goal disallowed for handball
Fulham thought they were level but Sessegnon slightly touched the ball with his hand before finishing. Really good spot from the ref and VAR confirms the decision.
Half time: Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham
Very good first half from Villa and they lead 1-0 deservedly. Fulham have yet to get going and Marco Silva will want a lot more from his side.
Tielemans heads home! — Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham
Youri Tielemans powers home a header from John McGinn’s corner and Villa’s early pressure pays off. The Belgian midfielder has been superb in recent months. But if you’re Fulham, how do you leave him unmarked?
It’s all Villa early on
The opening exchanges have been dominated by Villa. Lots of pressure from the hosts, but Fulham have threatened to counter a few times and gaps have opened up. Nice tempo to this game early.
Aston Villa lineup
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, Asensio, McGinn; Watkins
Fulham lineup
Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Sessegnon, Wilson, Iwobi; Jimenez
Aston Villa team news, focus
OUT: Marcus Rashford (muscular)
Fulham team news, focus
OUT: Rodrigo Muniz (knock), Reiss Nelson (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE: Antonee Robinson (knee)
Aston Villa vs Fulham prediction
The Cottagers could well score some redemption from the mid-October date but they’ve been a lot less predictable than Villa, who have proven resolve in their system. Villa Park’s a bit of a tiebreaker, too, yeah? Aston Villa 2-1 Fulham.
Aston Villa vs Fulham preview
Villa enter the weekend three points back of fifth place, the last automatic qualification spot on the Premier League table, and Unai Emery’s men have shown no signs of a letdown despite a recent loss to Man City.
Fulham have been a good team this Premier League season but have yet to really catch fire. The Cottagers are yet to win more than two-straight games in the Premier League, something that’s kept them in eighth with 51 points.
Eighth could still be enough for a berth in Europe, but Villa’s seventh-place footing would be a lot better and there’s no way the Cottagers will move up a spot without the Saturday win that would close the gap to three points. Fulham also have a pair of teams nipping at their heels for eighth, and both Brighton and Bournemouth have tough tests on Saturday and Sunday.
Villa won 3-1 at Craven Cottage way back in mid-October, but Villa missed a penalty when the game was 1-1 and took a 64th-minute red card when their deficit was just one goal.
How to watch Aston Villa vs Fulham live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 7:30am ET Saturday
Venue: Villa Park — Aston
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
