Aston Villa 1 Fulham 0 - Matt Maher analysis
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon from Villa Park.
00:03Well, one week on from that hugely disappointing result at Wembley.
00:07Villa got back to winning ways today, beating Fulham 1-0 in what was a must-win match.
00:14Their chances of finishing in a top five and making a return to the Champions League.
00:19Unai Emery said as much after the game.
00:20He said, look, if we hadn't won today, you could forget it in terms of the top five.
00:25And it's still very little margin for error for Villa with three matches remaining.
00:29But they are still very much in the race.
00:31Uri Tielemann's header in the 12th minute was enough to claim victory.
00:3517 matches unbeaten here in the Premier League now.
00:38That equals a record set earlier in Emery's reign.
00:42Villa, you know, at Villa Park really are, you know, a force to be reckoned with.
00:46They should have won by more.
00:48Bernd Leno, the Fulham keeper, denied Tielemann's a second with a brilliant save.
00:52And a save from Ollie Watkins in the second half as well.
00:54Watkins missed a good chance earlier.
00:56Daniel Marlon hit the bar in stoppage time.
00:59And it meant that this was quite a nervy occasion.
01:02Fulham never seriously tested Emi Martinez.
01:05But they had moments in attack.
01:07It was a big block from Matty Cash.
01:10You know, Fulham disallowed goal for Ryan Sessegnar.
01:13And some other opportunities that Fulham let slip.
01:17But they were pretty poor in what was a big game for them, really.
01:21You know, their chance of catching Villa has gone.
01:23And there's further significance today, other than obviously staying in the Champions League race,
01:28is that Villa virtually now guaranteed Europe for a third season.
01:31Which is no small feat.
01:33You know, this club has come a long way since Umay Emery has been in.
01:38And for all the disappointment of last week and the fact that this will be another season without a trophy,
01:42there's still a lot to be positive about.
01:44It was all about getting over the line for Villa today.
01:47And that's about what it is for the rest of the season now.
01:51You know, these games at the end of the season, you know, are just, it's just about winning.
01:56Finding a way to get by, finding a way to win.
02:00Villa did that today.
02:01Next week at Bournemouth, another 5.30 kick-up on the television.
02:05That looks the toughest game on paper.
02:07Bournemouth still have an outside shot at Europe themselves.
02:10And that really, you feel, could be the game that defines it for Villa.
02:13But they should go in with a bit of confidence restored.