Youri Tielemans’ first-half header was sufficient to earn Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Fulham to maintain alive their hopes of Champions League soccer subsequent season.
Tielemans, the excellent participant on the Villa Park pitch, rose highest of all to energy in John McGinn’s Twelfth-minute nook as Unai Emery’s facet moved degree on factors with each Nottingham Forest and Chelsea forward of their weekend matches.
Ollie Watkins spurned an incredible likelihood to double Villa’s lead at first of the second half and ease house nerves, which solely elevated minutes later when Ryan Sessegnon’s volley flashed previous Emi Martinez.
Nevertheless, the purpose was rightly dominated out as Sessegnon had clearly managed the ball together with his hand earlier than discovering the again of the online.
Villa then managed the second half expertly, helped by the guests having to play the ultimate 10 minutes with solely 10 gamers after Harrison Reed was pressured off with a calf downside having solely simply come on and Marco Silva having already used all his substitutes.
And regardless of sub Donyell Malen thumping the crossbar in damage time, Villa held on to get again to successful methods after successive losses within the league and FA Cup semi-final had threatened to derail their marketing campaign, whereas Fulham’s already-slim possibilities of European soccer subsequent season are actually hanging by a thread.