Aston Villa 1 Fulham 0 - Report

Last night’s 1-0 win over Fulham, courtesy of Tyrone Mings’ 21st minute header, saw Unai Emery’s team climb up to fifth in the Premier League and open up a nine-point buffer between themselves and the ninth-placed Cottagers.

With five matches to go, eighth place is starting to look like the worst position Villa will finish and the question is whether they can do enough to finish above one of Liverpool, Brighton or Tottenham to secure a return to Europe after 13 years away.

The latter pair are still to visit Villa Park, where the hosts have now won five straight top flight matches for the first time since 1998 – and the first time without conceding a goal since 1983.

The latest shutout was arguably the most comfortable of the lot with Fulham, once again missing Aleksandar Mitrovic as he continues to serve an eight-match ban, failing to force a fit-again Emi Martinez into serious exertion.

Villa themselves rarely threatened after Mings had opened the scoring but like many of their matches under Emery, always maintained a level of control. They have won 13 of the Spaniard’s 20 Premier League games in charge.

Fulham were forced into a change before kick-off when Willian, who opened the scoring in their 3-0 win over Villa last October which spelled the end of Steven Gerrard’s reign, went down in the warm-up and was replaced in the starting line-by Manor Solomon.

The disruption did not prevent the visitors from making a brisk start and a portion of their supporters thought they had opened the scoring inside 30 seconds when Andreas Pereira’s volley from Harrison Reed’s right wing cross rippled the side netting. Fortunately for Villa, it had gone just the wrong side of the post.

Villa were on top from then and Fulham were reliant on some well-timed blocks for keeping the match goal-less. Emi Buendia, Ashley Young and Ollie Watkins all saw goal-bound shots deflected wide, while the latter saw appeals for a penalty waved away after tumbling under Tosin Adarabioyo’s challenge.

It was Watkins’ blocked effort on goal which set-up the succession of corners from which Mings, meeting John McGinn’s third inswinging delivery, directed a header over goalkeeper Bernd Leno and inside the far post.

It was the defender’s first goal of the season, though he had put through his own net in the defeat at Craven Cottage earlier in the season. Times have changed.

Villa’s next effort on goal came from Watkins but his shot, after Ramsey had done superbly to hold off the challenge of two defenders, was straight at Leno.

By then Fulham had been forced into another change with Harry Wilson unable to continue and replaced by Bobby De Cordova-Reid. The substitute was booked on the stroke of half-time for clattering Alex Moreno with the visitors struggling to make any kind of headway.

The danger for Villa was losing concentration against opponents offering little and in the early stages of the second half there was a definite sense of the game having ground to a halt. Miscommunication between Young and Ezri Konsa gave the visitors a corner from nothing but they could do nothing with it.

Ramsey came close to sparking something with a through ball into the run of Watkins but the striker could not quite nail the first touch and Leno was able to rush out and claim the ball ahead of him.

Martinez was still without a save to make heading into the final 20 minutes but the groans which greeted Young lumping a free-kick to nowhere highlighted a growing unease in the stands.

McGinn finally sparked Villa’s attack when he found Watkins in space but Adarabioyo stayed patient to dive in and block the shot. Buendia seemed more restless, yelling at his team-mate after a move broke down.

At the other end, Fulham were getting a little closer, Young getting a vital touch to take a cross out of Daniel James’ reach.

Emery made his first changes by introducing Lucas Digne and Bertrand Traore off the bench. The latter picked out Douglas Luiz on the edge of the box but Villa’s goalscorer from Saturday’s draw at Brentford lifted his shot over the bar.

With seven minutes remaining, Fulham thought they had levelled when Reed’s cross deflected off a sliding Mings and beyond Martinez in a replica of his own goal six months previously. This time the effort was chalked off by a late but correct offside flag.

Teams

Villa (4-4-2): Martinez, Young (Chambers 85), Konsa, Mings, Moreno (Digne 77), McGinn, Luiz, Dendoncker, Ramsey (Traore 77), Buendia, Watkins Subs not used: Carlos, Duran, Revan, O’Reilly, Olsen (gk), Sinisalo (gk).

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno, Tete (Soares 68), Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson, Reed, Palhinha, Wilson (De Cordova-Reid 17), Pereira (Cairney 68), Solomon (Vinicius 68), James Subs not used: Duffy, Lukic, Diop, Rodak (gk).