Villa edge past Fulham to keep Champions League hopes alive | OneFootball

Aston Villa kept their Champions League hopes alive with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Fulham at Villa Park.

The hosts broke the deadlock with 12 minutes played, as Youri Tielemans found the net after being left unmarked from a corner - this bit of slack defending allowed him to rise highest and thump his header past Bernd Leno.

Villa dominated large spells of the first half and should’ve doubled their lead, with Ollie Watkins fluffing a golden chance just after the break.

In the second half, Marco Silva's side improved and had a few glimpses of goal, most notably when Harry Wilson was teed up by Calvin Bassey but couldn’t direct his header with enough power to trouble Emi Martínez.

Ryan Sessegnon briefly thought he’d levelled after firing low into the net, but the goal was ruled out — the winger was judged to have used his arm to bring the ball under control.

Raul Jimenez and Sasa Lukic also had half-chances, but Fulham lacked the cutting edge in the final third to seriously test the Villa defence.

In the final moments of the match, Villa almost doubled their lead when substitute Donyell Malen rattled the bar from around 12 yards out.

The win marks a vital three points for Unai Emery’s men as they continue their push for a Champions League spot, extending their unbeaten run at home to 16 games in the Premier League.

The Cottagers, meanwhile, stay eighth, with Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford all having the chance to leapfrog them this weekend.