Key events
30 min: Yellow card for Sessegnon for hauling back Maatsen. A cheap yellow, too.
29 min: Kamara, such a mainstay at the base of midfield, starts an attack. Looks like Harry Wilson has a knock though one he can run off.
28 min: Rogers, who has been quiet, is sent away and there’s real danger, only for the bulk of Calvin Bassey to smash into the England man.
25 min: Nice work from Matty Cash in closing off the danger of Alex Iwobi, who can be a superb player on his day, as Liverpool found out.
23 min: Sessegnon down the right, and he cut it inside to Harry Wilson, who has his shot blocked. Fulham fail to make much of the corner.
21 min: Judging by the loud noises coming from my neighbour, the Championship final day is serving up some excitement. He’s a Luton fan. Follow his agonies here with the legend that is Rob Smyth.
19 min: Leno speeds out to chase a through ball from Tielemans that had Watkins’ name on it.
17 min: Villa all over this. Fulham have been way off it. This is what holds them back. There’s real talent there.
16 min: Another Villa free-kick, this time from 50 yards out, taken short and eventually back with the goalie. Not one of Austin’s best, that. 4-D chess? Probably not.
14 min: Fulham seek to hit back straight away but they’re struggling in midfield.
13 min: Villa so good at set pieces. Another personal triumph from Austin McPhee. Nicolas Jover, it’s over to you.
Goal! Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham (Tielemans, 12)
Lovely ball in from McGinn and Tielemans attacks the space to nod in.
11 min: Sessegnon is sent away, and bursts past Pau Torres. There’s a clash of bodies in the box but no fouls and the ball is cleared for a Villa counter. Asensio wins a corner.
10 min: Iwobi on the run, and Tielemans clears up for Villa. Fulham exerting some pressure.
9 min: Fulham try to pass the ball around, calm things down a bit. Iwobi is the target of a long ball but nothing doing.
7 min: Sessegnon chases back to stop a Maatsen overlap. He concedes a corner, and Asensio takes it short, the ball aimed at Watkins, who can’t get high enough on it for direction.
5 min: Maatsen has to step out and break up the first proper Fulham attack. Robinson, looking rusty, clatterers Asensio and gets a booking.
4 min: Watkins makes his first surge, but is stopped in his tracks. Fulham play the ball out with Leno playing the ball out in the fashion that frustrates so many. He played Robinson right into trouble.
2 min: Aston Villa begin with a domination of possession. The high press is being engaged. They’re on a run of six in a row.
Kick-off at Villa Park
1 min: We’ve had Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train so here we go. Fulham attempt a Brentford-style wildcat attack from the kick-off. The temperature has dropped from the flag-cracking heat of this week. Cast ne’er a clout till May be out.
The teams are out at Villa Park, and there’s so much at stake for both.
Richard Hirst, time-honoured Cottager, gets in touch: “Fulham need to bring Cairney on early then we can channel the 2018 play off final: Sessegnon to Cairney, 1-0. Although there won’t be the added delight of the pass beating John Terry.”
Unai Emery spoke to TNT ahead of the game: “We’re so focused to try to get Europe. Europe is the highest ambition we can dream of, and to play Champions League again.
“We’re in this run, but we’re not favourites – the teams in front of us are. If we win today, we can have more options to play Champions League. We need to get the energy [from the supporters here]. They are feeling us. They help us. We’re in our fortress.”
Peter Lansley
Unai Emery isn’t holding back on praising his team’s efforts in staying in contention for Europe again. There’s no need for false restraints at this stage of the season. “We are getting to the last four matches with options to qualify for next year in European competitions,” he wrote in his In his programme notes. “It will happen if players, owners, and the supporters keep rowing together, same pace and same direction.
“So as a team, as a club, we need to clean our minds and focus on what really matters now.”
He even emphasised the need for “FOCUS” and “ENERGY” with both capitalised in the pre-match programme.
Excellent piece from last week on the new Fulham.
Andrew Tate gets in touch: “I’m assuming the mention of Watkins clinching the top scoring record if he scores today relates only to the Premier League, as 75 seems a mite low for such an august team? “
Yes, he’s level with Gabby Agbonlahor, and 14 ahead of Dwight Yorke. John Carew’s in 10th on 37.
1992: now 33 years ago.
View from Villa Park
Plenty to play for at Villa Park as Fulham keep sights set on the top-eight finish that should bring them European qualification and their highest Premier League finish.
How will Aston Villa bounce back from the crushing disappointment of their no-show at the FA Cup semi-final, against Crystal Palace any Wembley last Sunday, that followed their Champions League exit?
Maatsen replaces Digne at left-back but spare a thought for Ollie Watkins, whose sustained excellence over the past 18 months plus in leading Villa to this stage had resulted in his being demoted behind Marcus Rashford in Unai Emery’s favoured starting XI – only for the on-loan Manchester United man to be ruled out with a hamstring injury. Watkins is said not to be angling for a summer move, despite interest from Chelsea following that from Arsenal, but he must wonder what he’s meant to do. Still, Watkins is quality, has character, and a great scoring record.
He’s scored in his last three meetings with Fulham and one more today will take him clear of Gabby Agbonlaor (both on 75) as Villa’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Robinson and Lukic return for Fulham but Sessegnon keeps his place, just higher up the pitch instead of Willian.
No Marcus Rashford: seems we may never see him in a Villa shirt again. Ollie Watkins starts up front despite those reports of being unsettled. Ian Maatsen in for Lucas Digne is Unai Emery’s only change from Wembley.
Two Fulham changes: Sasa Lukic replace Andreas Pereira, presumably injured, while Antonee Robinson starts at left-back as he returns from injury.
The teams
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, Rogers, Asensio, McGinn, Watkins. Subs: Olsen, Mings, Barkley, Digne, Garcia, Malen, Onana, Bailey, Ramsey
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Lukic, Berge, Sessegnon, Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi. Subs: Benda, Reed, Cairney, Adama, Vinicius, Cuenca, Castagne, Willian, Smith Rowe
The table: showing a gulf between seventh and eighth.
Preamble
This is a big game for both clubs. It’s a battle of seventh v eighth but they are fighting on different fronts. Villa, licking their wounds after exiting the Champions League and FA Cup, want to get back into the top five. Manchester City’s win last night left Chelsea to be shot at. They’re in fifth. Fulham can grab one of those places left spare by other teams’ successes – United and Spurs in the Europa League, Arsenal in the Champions League, City in the FA Cup? – but only if they stop being so inconsistent. They’re going to have to play better than they did in beating Southampton last week.
Kick-off at 12.30pm UK time. Join me.
