Aston Villa secured three crucial points on Saturday, as we picked up a 1-0 win over Fulham to keep our Champions League qualification hopes alive.
A first-half header from Youri Tielemans was ultimately all that split the two sides, as after Villa looked in control in the opening 45 minutes, the visitors fought back after the break to threaten grabbing a share of the spoils.
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However, Villa were able to hold out for the win, and that in turn moves us level with both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest as we look to apply pressure on our rivals in the hunt for a top-five finish in the Premier League.
Next up is a trip to Bournemouth next weekend, and it’s hoped that this win after our recent setbacks was exactly what was needed to rebuild some confidence and form at a pivotal stage of the campaign.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Fulham:
Emiliano Martinez, 6.5 – Didn’t have too much to do as we limited Fulham’s threat well for the most part, but was alert to danger and commanded his box well while keeping his distribution simple and accurate.
Matty Cash, 7.5 – A strong shift from the Villa right-back, as he got stuck into challenges and was composed in possession to keep the ball and maintain our sense of control in tight areas.
Ezri Konsa, 7 – Got a deserved rant aimed his way from Emery in the second half for looking for a foul after some sloppy play which almost ended in us conceding. Needs to be stronger in duels and focus on the game, but was otherwise a solid presence at the back.
Pau Torres, 7 – Composed in possession to help us control tempo in the first half in particular, while he was strong defensively throughout in an important display as he kept things tight at the back and we were able to keep a clean sheet.
Ian Maatsen, 7 – Made some strong tackles and provided us with energy going forward down the left flank. Did get himself into trouble on a couple of occasions trying to overplay, but he’s continuing to improve.
Boubacar Kamara, 7 – An important presence in midfield as he regained possession well with his interventions and positional awareness. Calm on the ball to help us tick over and keep the shackles on Fulham.
Youri Tielemans, 8 – An easy choice for Player of the Match. Brilliant in both phases, he was tenacious and tireless defensively and was pivotal in giving us rhythm and flow to our attacking play with his technical quality. Capped it off with the winning goal, as it was a superb header after a great run into a dangerous area from the corner.
John McGinn, 7.5 – Worked tirelessly off the ball to apply pressure higher up the pitch and force mistakes, while he showed strength and good vision to act as a key link between our defensive and offensive play. Great shift from the Villa skipper, who registered an assist too with a top delivery in from his corner.
Marco Asensio, 6 – Showed for the ball to try and give us more creativity and quality in the attacking third, but his influence was still limited throughout. Can be a vital cog in how we want to play, but needs to be more involved when he’s able to find pockets of space to operate.
Morgan Rogers, 7 – Excellent technical skill and dribbling at times to force his way out of tight situations and threaten Fulham’s backline, while he put in a shift defensively for the team too. Couldn’t quite add the decisive final touch to make the difference.
Ollie Watkins, 6.5 – Worked hard off the ball as his movement gave us an outlet at times, while he was able to stretch the Fulham defence and create space for others to exploit. However, wasn’t clinical enough in front of goal as he had chances, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Substitutes:
Amadou Onana, 6 – Important presence in the latter stages to shore things up and help us see out the game to secure all three points.
Jacob Ramsey, 6 – Injected energy and freshness into our play as his movement and ability to drive at defences is key in giving us a different dynamic on the left side.
Donyell Malen, 6.5 – Looked a real handful after coming on. Showed a great first touch and positional awareness to break free and in on goal a couple of times, while he was unlucky after striking the crossbar as his finishing wasn’t quite clinical enough.
Lucas Digne, 6 – Looked to be a potential concern as he went up against Traore and his pace, but he stood up to the challenge well for the most part and kept things relatively tight on that side in the final stages.
Ross Barkley, N/A
