Aston Villa recovered from their FA Cup semi-final defeat by Crystal Palace as they overcame Fulham in the Premier League to boost hopes of a top-five finish.
Unai Emery’s side were beaten 3-0 at Wembley last time out but put that disappointment behind them with a hard-fought victory.
It moves them level on points with Chelsea, who occupy the fifth and final Champions League spot, and sixth-placed Nottingham Forest.
After an even opening, Villa took the lead after 12 minutes when the influential Youri Tielemans directed a firm header past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno from John McGinn’s inswinging corner.
Ollie Watkins should have made it 2-0 early in the second half but failed to get a decisive touch on Matty Cash’s low cross.
Fulham were denied an equaliser not long afterwards when Ryan Sessegnon had a low left-footed drive disallowed for handball.
Leno then denied Watkins with his legs after Morgan Rogers picked out the striker with an exquisite pass, and Donyell Malen rattled the crossbar with a fierce strike late on, but Fulham were unable to trouble Emiliano Martinez at the other end.
The result means Marco Silva’s Fulham side stay in eighth place, but the Cottagers could end the weekend in the bottom half of the table if other results go against them.
Tielemans shines as Watkins misfires
Saturday’s win was Villa’s seventh in nine Premier League games – a run that has taken them from mid-table obscurity to the brink of the Champions League places with three matches remaining.
Tielemans was the driving force against Fulham, pulling the strings in Villa’s midfield after giving them an early lead with his fifth goal of the season.
The Belgium international nearly fashioned a second before half-time with a perfectly weighted pass into Watkins, but Leno was off his line quickly to prevent the forward from doubling Villa’s advantage.
Leno then did well to get the faintest of touches to a ferocious Tielemans drive on the stroke of half-time – but referee Robert Jones failed to spot the German’s intervention and awarded a Fulham goal-kick.
The hosts were relieved to see Sessegnon’s effort chalked off following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, and Harry Wilson failed to steer a magnificent Alex Iwobi pass beyond Martinez as Fulham started the second half with greater intent.
Ultimately, though, the hosts should have won by a more comfortable margin.
Watkins will be frustrated not to have got the goal which would have made him Villa’s outright Premier League leading scorer, and Malen was denied a fourth goal in six league games by the woodwork.
But the three points were what mattered for Emery’s team, who remain seventh but now are firmly in the Champions League picture.
[BBC]