Fulham were one of only two sides with a 100% winning record in midweek Premier League (PL) fixtures this season, and they had a good chance to open the scoring with just a minute on the clock when Andreas Pereira’s acrobatic effort from inside the area flew just wide of the right post.
Keen to ensure the Cottagers’ record came to an end, Villa knew that the in-form Ollie Watkins would be key to their hopes. With 14 goals to his name in the league this term, he required just one more to set a personal best Premier League scoring season, and the hosts claimed that their star striker had been fouled inside the penalty area on the 15-minute mark, but the VAR said otherwise.
Prior to this game, Villa had scored in all 19 Premier League fixtures under Unai Emery - the longest streak from the start of a manager's tenure in the competition's history.
And so it came as no surprise when captain Tyrone Mings gave the red-hot Villans the lead after 21 minutes, glancing John’s McGinn’s corner into the far side of the goal, much to the delight of the home fans, who continued to dream of European football next season.
Fulham were vying for an outright club record seventh top-flight away victory in a season, but they were some way off the pace in an attacking sense, with Emery’s side looking comfortable with their one-goal lead.
Watkins was keen to reach his record milestone sooner rather than later, and he had a presentable chance to do so in the final 20 minutes when he opened up space to shoot on the angle, but there was enough pressure to ensure his effort was off target.
The Cottagers never looked likely to get back into the contest, and in fact, they failed to register a single shot on target all evening.
That said, the travelling fans thought they had equalised late on when Mings turned Harrison Reed’s cross into his own net, but the flag went up for offside as the hosts hung on to claim a deserved victory, extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches and keeping them right in the mix for continental qualification. Fulham, meanwhile, are now destined for a comfortable mid-table finish.
Flashscore Man of the Match: John McGinn (Aston Villa)
