Here’s Peter Lansley’s report from Villa Park.
It’s tightening up. Chelsea, it’s over to you.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Nottm Forest | 34 | 12 | 60 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 35 | 6 | 60 |
| 8 | Fulham | 35 | 3 | 51 |
| 9 | Brighton | 34 | 1 | 51 |
John McGinn also spoke to TNT: “A massive three points. It keeps us in the hunt for the Champions League spots. As you get older you start to appreciate it a bit more. You want to achieve as much as possible. Last week was a huge setback, but we keep going.”
Youri Tielemans, winning goalscorer, spoke to TNT: “All our games, we know we have to win them to have a chance to be in the Champions League next season.
“This afternoon was a good win. A tough opponent, Fulham are a very good team. We could have finished the game earlier, but credit to the guys. Good fight and good win.”
“I’ve tried to take care of my body and just play the games and enjoy my football. It is the biggest European competition club wise. We have had a taste this season and ,we want to do it again.”
Full-time: Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham
Villa are firmly in the hunt for the Champions League. They rode out the tension, hung on to their early goal. Fulham’s European chances in the balance now. They look to Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth now.
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90+9 min: Bassey starts an attack. Will it be their last? Jacob Ramsey is cool in clearing the danger. Barkley attacks but then gives the ball away….one more attack…no, that’s it
90+7 min: Traore’s cross is cleared – just – by Konsa. Fulham pushing on and on.
90+6 min: Traore sets off on a rumbling run, and Digne tackles him to cheers and jeers.
90+5 min: Malen is sent through but…hits the bar. Oh no. Emery doesn’t know what to do. He’s at first angry and then encouraging. But always manic.
90+3 min: This is nervous at the Villa. They have failed to kill off a still-dangerous opponent.
90+2 min: Fulham fans fancy this one, despite their 10 men. Their team is dominating possession. Anderson’s ball fails to find Castagne.
90 min: There will be eight minutes of time added on. The Villa fans groan but there have been loads of stoppages. The referee gets abused for…doing his job.
89 min: Rogers and Cash double team on Traore, and the ball is behind for a goal-kick.
88 min: Villa content to play keep-ball around the ten men. Their fans are nervous, especially so once Fulham get the ball back. Emile Smith Rowe makes a mess of a shooting chance. Emery meanwhile is maniacal on the sidelines, doing his best Beetlejuice impression.
85 min: Malen and Bassey collide, and the defender goes to ground. Malen goes on and on – he’s such a lively player – but maybe not the best finisher. His shot goes somewhere near Solihull. Marco Silva is booked for complaining that play was allowed to go on.
83 min: Poor Harrison Reed has to limp down the tunnel, head in hands. That’s a sad sight.
82 min: Harrison Reed is down, and looks hurt. He’s limping badly and Fulham have made five changes. Something twanged badly there. That could be season over for him. Emery is considering his next change. Tielemans goes off, and Ross Barkley, another quality player, is coming on.
80 min: Jeers as Traore – former Wolves player – chases the ball and runs it out of play.
78 min: Cash will be OK to continue but sore in the morning. Malen, the sub, almost gets on the end as Rogers attacks the space down the right, zings the ball in and Leno makes a point-blank block that forces Malen to miss.
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76 min: Matty Cash is so brave in throwing himself to block a ricochet-ing ball. Anderson smashes into him with the follow through. You can see the bruise coming up already. Ouch!
74 min: More changes: Harrison Reed and Willian on, Iwobi and Berge off. Iwobi looked like he had plenty more to offer. Reed comes on to take the latest terrible free-kick.
72 min: Villa have such a talented squad, so well constructed, with more to come, if an expensive wage bill. Emery is a manager prepared to rotate squads and sell to buy.
70 min: More Villa changes: Donyell Malen for Watkins, and then it’s Digne for Maatsen. The latter change surely made with Traore in mind.
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69 min: Golden chance for Pau Torres, galloping up the field. Rogers had laid up but that was a defender’s finish.
67 min: Two Fulham changes: Tete and Wilson off, Castagne and Traore on. That should add some spice down the wings.
66 min: Berge is booked for a foul on Tielemans. The Norwegian hasn’t enjoyed himself at all.
64 min: A chance to Harry Wilson, and one he could have done rather better with.
63 min: Justin Kavanagh: “Wow! Unai Emery was so enraged by Konsa’s dithering that he probably threw more punches at the air than Ryan Garcia did in Times Square last night. If I was Konsa, I’d ask Marco Silva if he could use the visitor’s dressing room after the game.”
Will Oliver: “John, can you translate Unai’s tantrum into English? That looked like angry Cricket or baseball.”
61 min: Maatsen, who’s been lively, pings in a shot. Though was it a cross? It’s end of season stuff though with plenty to play for.
59 min: It’s Ramsey and Onana on, McGinn and Asensio off. McGinn hands the armband to Emi Martinez.
56 min: It’s full-pelt stuff, and Alex Iwobi is coming more to the fore. Looks like Emery has seen enough and wants to make changes.
54 min: Fulham break at speed. Emery is furious as Wilson goes early with his effort. That’s a meme-able reaction. He went absolutely radio rental.
53 min: Can Villa ride out the storm? They have a free-kick, which is again wasted by being smashed at Harry Wilson’s shins. Not another McPhee classic.
51 min: Nicholas von Maltzahn gets in touch: “Gary Naylor’s poetic sense of the occasion at Anfield (35 min) was shared by your colleague Barney Ronay, who had this in his write-up last Sunday:
“Even the trains north had carried a gathering excitement, like a Whitsun wedding weekend, whoops and skirls down the platform at each stopping point, the feeling of Liverpool spread out in the sun up ahead.”
Barney – like me – is a big fan of Hull’s most famous librarian.
50 min: Fulham have the ball in the net. Did Sessegnon handball it? He took it down and smashed in. VAR shows it was a handball. Rob Jones the ref bided his time…good process, lads.
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48 min: Fulham have also had a half-time rocket and Lukic is denied as he and Jimenez fly at the ball. Rogers also immediately goes close. They’re both lobbing kitchen sinks at this. And why not?
46 min: We are back underway and Villa almost score straight away, as Watkins has a golden chance to score but loses the run of himself. That’s a bad miss, Ollie.
Half-time: Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham
It closes out with Iwobi going close: he smashes wide. Villa have been the better team, but have failed to build on Tielemans’ goal. Much to play for in the second half, and with plenty at stake.
45 min: Ooof, Tielemans smashes the ball after being laid up by McGinn. A screamer, and what a save from Leno. No corner given, but then the Villa screens show the German got a touch…boooooo! Just a minute added on. It’s been breathless, all-action.
44 min: Kenny Tete penalised. That’s a second foul from him. He looks annoyed with the ref.
43 min: Fulham just can’t get into it. Villa are all over their midfield and yet don’t look too dangerous…..oh here’s a chance for Jimenez, who finds no support so has a dig from distance.
42 min: Bad free-kick time: a waste of a promising position as Sasa Lukic thrashes the ball into the wall.
40 min: Cash is sent away by Asensio but there Villa hit heavy traffic. Fulham are defending deep.
39 min: Leno slides out to hack away a ball aimed at Watkins. Villa seeking a second before half-time.
38 min: Rogers – at last – shows off his skill, bobbing and weaving but his ball to Watkins is intercepted.
37 min: Villa with most of the ball but not looking too sharp in attack. They’re rather grinding through the gears here.
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35 min: Gary Naylor gets in touch: Approaching Liverpool on the train en route to Goodison, admittedly at the beginning rather than the end of May, I was reminded of Phillip Larkin’s poem, The Whitsun Weddings I’ll just say that times change...
The good news for Hull City fan Phil is that his team are out of danger. For now.
34 min: Fulham free-kick, aimed at Jimenez, with calls for a Matty Cash pull. There was zero contact so we play on.
33 min: A push on Watkins? No says referee Rob Jones. The Fulham Jolly Boys make themselves heard for the first time. Their team has not been too good so far. Not that Villa are flying.
31 min: From Villa Park. This was a strange moment:
“Strange little irritation for Villa after their goal. Morgan Rogers, having contributed the pre-assist before the assist, his pass releasing Asensio to shoot to win the corner, is asked to stay off the pitch for 30 seconds after he went to change his shirt on the touchline in the downtime between goal and kick-off. He was well grumpy about that.”
30 min: Yellow card for Sessegnon for hauling back Maatsen. A cheap yellow, too.
29 min: Kamara, such a mainstay at the base of midfield, starts an attack. Looks like Harry Wilson has a knock though one he can run off.
28 min: Rogers, who has been quiet, is sent away and there’s real danger, only for the bulk of Calvin Bassey to smash into the England man.
25 min: Nice work from Matty Cash in closing off the danger of Alex Iwobi, who can be a superb player on his day, as Liverpool found out.
23 min: Sessegnon down the right, and he cut it inside to Harry Wilson, who has his shot blocked. Fulham fail to make much of the corner.
21 min: Judging by the loud noises coming from my neighbour, the Championship final day is serving up some excitement. He’s a Luton fan. Follow his agonies here with the legend that is Rob Smyth.
19 min: Leno speeds out to chase a through ball from Tielemans that had Watkins’ name on it.
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17 min: Villa all over this. Fulham have been way off it. This is what holds them back. There’s real talent there.
16 min: Another Villa free-kick, this time from 50 yards out, taken short and eventually back with the goalie. Not one of Austin’s best, that. 4-D chess? Probably not.
14 min: Fulham seek to hit back straight away but they’re struggling in midfield.
13 min: Villa so good at set pieces. Another personal triumph from Austin McPhee. Nicolas Jover, it’s over to you.
Goal! Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham (Tielemans, 12)
Lovely ball in from McGinn and Tielemans attacks the space to nod in.
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11 min: Sessegnon is sent away, and bursts past Pau Torres. There’s a clash of bodies in the box but no fouls and the ball is cleared for a Villa counter. Asensio wins a corner.
10 min: Iwobi on the run, and Tielemans clears up for Villa. Fulham exerting some pressure.
9 min: Fulham try to pass the ball around, calm things down a bit. Iwobi is the target of a long ball but nothing doing.
7 min: Sessegnon chases back to stop a Maatsen overlap. He concedes a corner, and Asensio takes it short, the ball aimed at Watkins, who can’t get high enough on it for direction.
5 min: Maatsen has to step out and break up the first proper Fulham attack. Robinson, looking rusty, clatterers Asensio and gets a booking.
4 min: Watkins makes his first surge, but is stopped in his tracks. Fulham play the ball out with Leno playing the ball out in the fashion that frustrates so many. He played Robinson right into trouble.
2 min: Aston Villa begin with a domination of possession. The high press is being engaged. They’re on a run of six in a row.
Kick-off at Villa Park
1 min: We’ve had Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train so here we go. Fulham attempt a Brentford-style wildcat attack from the kick-off. The temperature has dropped from the flag-cracking heat of this week. Cast ne’er a clout till May be out.
The teams are out at Villa Park, and there’s so much at stake for both.
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Richard Hirst, time-honoured Cottager, gets in touch: “Fulham need to bring Cairney on early then we can channel the 2018 play off final: Sessegnon to Cairney, 1-0. Although there won’t be the added delight of the pass beating John Terry.”
Unai Emery spoke to TNT ahead of the game: “We’re so focused to try to get Europe. Europe is the highest ambition we can dream of, and to play Champions League again.
“We’re in this run, but we’re not favourites – the teams in front of us are. If we win today, we can have more options to play Champions League. We need to get the energy [from the supporters here]. They are feeling us. They help us. We’re in our fortress.”
Unai Emery isn’t holding back on praising his team’s efforts in staying in contention for Europe again. There’s no need for false restraints at this stage of the season. “We are getting to the last four matches with options to qualify for next year in European competitions,” he wrote in his In his programme notes. “It will happen if players, owners, and the supporters keep rowing together, same pace and same direction.
“So as a team, as a club, we need to clean our minds and focus on what really matters now.”
He even emphasised the need for “FOCUS” and “ENERGY” with both capitalised in the pre-match programme.
Excellent piece from last week on the new Fulham.
Andrew Tate gets in touch: “I’m assuming the mention of Watkins clinching the top scoring record if he scores today relates only to the Premier League, as 75 seems a mite low for such an august team? “
Yes, he’s level with Gabby Agbonlahor, and 14 ahead of Dwight Yorke. John Carew’s in 10th on 37.
1992: now 33 years ago.
View from Villa Park
Plenty to play for at Villa Park as Fulham keep sights set on the top-eight finish that should bring them European qualification and their highest Premier League finish.
How will Aston Villa bounce back from the crushing disappointment of their no-show at the FA Cup semi-final, against Crystal Palace any Wembley last Sunday, that followed their Champions League exit?
Maatsen replaces Digne at left-back but spare a thought for Ollie Watkins, whose sustained excellence over the past 18 months plus in leading Villa to this stage had resulted in his being demoted behind Marcus Rashford in Unai Emery’s favoured starting XI - only for the on-loan Manchester United man to be ruled out with a hamstring injury. Watkins is said not to be angling for a summer move, despite interest from Chelsea following that from Arsenal, but he must wonder what he’s meant to do. Still, Watkins is quality, has character, and a great scoring record.
He’s scored in his last three meetings with Fulham and one more today will take him clear of Gabby Agbonlaor (both on 75) as Villa’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Robinson and Lukic return for Fulham but Sessegnon keeps his place, just higher up the pitch instead of Willian.
No Marcus Rashford: seems we may never see him in a Villa shirt again. Ollie Watkins starts up front despite those reports of being unsettled. Ian Maatsen in for Lucas Digne is Unai Emery’s only change from Wembley.
Two Fulham changes: Sasa Lukic replace Andreas Pereira, presumably injured, while Antonee Robinson starts at left-back as he returns from injury.
The teams
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, Rogers, Asensio, McGinn, Watkins. Subs: Olsen, Mings, Barkley, Digne, Garcia, Malen, Onana, Bailey, Ramsey
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Lukic, Berge, Sessegnon, Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi. Subs: Benda, Reed, Cairney, Adama, Vinicius, Cuenca, Castagne, Willian, Smith Rowe
Updated
The table: showing a gulf between seventh and eighth.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Nottm Forest | 34 | 12 | 60 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 34 | 5 | 57 |
| 8 | Fulham | 34 | 4 | 51 |
| 9 | Brighton | 34 | 1 | 51 |
Preamble
This is a big game for both clubs. It’s a battle of seventh v eighth but they are fighting on different fronts. Villa, licking their wounds after exiting the Champions League and FA Cup, want to get back into the top five. Manchester City’s win last night left Chelsea to be shot at. They’re in fifth. Fulham can grab one of those places left spare by other teams’ successes – United and Spurs in the Europa League, Arsenal in the Champions League, City in the FA Cup? – but only if they stop being so inconsistent. They’re going to have to play better than they did in beating Southampton last week.
Kick-off at 12.30pm UK time. Join me.
