Watkins brace as Villa return to the top four
THE last time Aston Villa came to Craven Cottage, their manager was sacked before they had even boarded the team bus back to Birmingham. No chance of that happening this time around.
That was October 2022 when a 3-0 win for Fulham signalled the end of Steven Gerrard’s time as Villa boss with the side 17th in the table.
For his replacement Unai Emery, in his 50th Premier League game in charge of Villa, this victory, thanks to a superb all-round display by Ollie Watkins, put his team back in the top four.
Despite Rodrigo Muniz pulling one back for Marco Silva’s side, Villa held on and Emery was full of praise for his striker.
‘I’m very happy. Ollie was fantastic,’ said Emery. ‘The best action he did was in the first half when he dropped to help our midfielders and created some good chances.
‘He’s improved a lot in his commitment to give everything the team needs in each moment. We are very happy when he scores, but even when he doesn’t score I’m still very proud.’
His side came into the game with just eight points from their last seven games and with an injury crisis that Emery admitted he had not gone through during his stellar managerial career.
Villa were dominant in the first half and Watkins broke the deadlock midway through after a careless throw-in from Antonee Robinson put Willian under pressure in his own half. Jacob Ramsey won the ball back and Watkins finished wonderfully past Bernd Leno into the bottom corner.
Minutes later, Leon Bailey nearly doubled the advantage as he unleashed a dipping strike that rattled the woodwork.
Watkins then nearly turned provider with a flick-on to Alex Moreno, who nodded in at the back post but was ruled marginally offside. Then Youri Tielemans should have finished when Watkins played him through, only for his attempt to be saved by Leno.
Silva turned to Alex Iwobi at the break to restore control, with Willian making way, but it initially failed to have the desired effect. The clinical Watkins made it two with a devastating finish after he was played through by Tielemans.
For Watkins it was his 23rd goal involvement in the Premier League this season, behind only Mo Salah (24), and from there it should have been plain sailing for the visitors.
But out of nothing, Rodrigo Muniz pounced on an error by Clement Lenglet with a smart finish to pull one back and shift the momentum, as Craven Cottage found its voice and Iwobi made his mark.
Silva made four more changes in the hunt for an equaliser as Fulham responded well.
Their best chance to level came in injury time when Adama Traore was put through on goal by Muniz, but Villa keeper Emi Martinez was equal to the task.
Fulham’s frustrations grew as referee Lewis Smith, 30, officiating his first Premier League game, dished out five yellow cards to them after the 85th minute — one of which means a two-game ban for Joao Palhinha.
And when he blew up in the fifth of the five minutes of added time, despite Villa making a substitution in the 94th minute, he was met with a chorus of boos and chants.
‘It wasn’t our best performance. We reacted well in the second half and it was a different team after we scored,’ said Silva. ‘I spoke to him (the referee) and I want to understand more because it should be more than five minutes played.’ FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno 6; Castagne 6, Diop 6, Ream 6 (Bassey 75min, 5), Robinson 5; Palhinha 6 (Lukic 89), Cairney 6; Decordova-Reid 6 (Wilson 64, 6), Pereira 6 (Traore 75, 5), Willian 5 (Iwobi 46, 6); Muniz 7. Palhinha, Castagne, Lukic, Wilson, Traore. Subs (not used): Rodak, Adarabioyo, Reed, Ballo-Toure. ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Martinez 7; Cash 6, Torres 6, Lenglet 5, Moreno 6 (Digne 81); Tielemans 7 (Iroegbunam 90), Luiz 7; Bailey 7 (Diaby 81), McGinn 7, Ramsey 7; Watkins 9. McGinn, Moreno. Subs (not used): Gauci, Olsen, Chambers, Zaniolo, Rogers, Kesler-Hayden.
L Smith (Lancashire) 7.