Aston Villa picked up their first win of the Premier League season as they came from behind to beat Fulham 3-1 at Villa Park.
Raul Jimenez headed Fulham in front inside three minutes but was forced off injured soon after, not that it slowed the visitors. They came close to doubling their lead, twice wanting penalties as Josh King went down and Matty Cash blocked a shot with his arm.
But Villa hauled themselves level when Joachim Andersen misjudged a long ball and Ollie Watkins stole in to lob the ball over Bernd Leno. It was the England striker’s first goal of the season, bouncing back from his penalty miss against Bologna on Thursday.
Villa upped the intensity levels in the second half, having made no tackles in the first, and that helped them take the game away from Fulham. Adama Traore was dispossessed and John McGinn arrowed a shot low into the corner of the net.
Emiliano Buendia, on for Harvey Elliott at half-time, got the assist for that one and had a goal of his own soon after. It is only the second time that Buendia has scored and assisted in the same game – and he did it within six minutes of coming onto the pitch.
It was a spirited comeback by Villa, although hardly a convincing one. Emi Martinez’s error presented an excellent chance for Sasa Lukic to pull one back only for Ezri Konsa to clear off the line. It was a chaotic sort of game but a second win in a week for Villa.
Unai Emery will take that, the points lifting his side out of the Premier League relegation zone. Marco Silva, who was booked for his protestations during the first half, sees Fulham stay on 10 points and just clinging on to their place in the top half of the table.
Should Fulham have had penalties?
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Josh King’s shot cannoned off the arm of Matty Cash inside the box
King wanted a penalty when he raced onto Traore’s through-ball, knocking it around Martinez before going into the goalkeeper. The youngster was booked for simulation because it was deemed he was going to ground before the contact.
Sky Sports’ Chris Sutton at Villa Park:
“Andy Madley feels he’s already on his way down. He is caught by him. I don’t think he was retrieving the ball anyway. It’s something he needs to get out of his game. If he’d stayed upright he would have been brought down anyway and the contact was significant.”
Verdict from Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp:
“Last week that was simulation but this week it is a penalty. He has nowhere to go. Martinez’s right foot just clears him out. It’s a stonewall penalty.”
There was a second penalty shout when Cash blocked King’s shot with his trailing arm. Silva was booked not long after when Harry Wilson was adjudged to have dived, but he still appeared to be seething about that one.
Sky Sports’ Chris Sutton at Villa Park:
“The arm is away from the body. I think Fulham are going to feel hard done by but it’s a genuine attempt to block the shot. We know what Marco Silva is thinking…”
Verdict from Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp:
“He makes himself bigger but it would have been harsh to give that.”
Emery pleased with Villa reaction
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery speaking to Sky Sports:
“Happy. Overall, we kept the consistency we achieved on Thursday in Europa League.
“We started a little bit under our necessary energy on the field. We conceded one goal and then it was a difficult moment but we reacted, more than tactically.
“Then we were being aggressive, trying to get into the box. The result was through our energy and through our wishes to come back.”
On Ollie Watkins: “For the team, it is very important. We were not scoring goals. We needed the goals through Watkins, Buendia and McGinn.
“With the supporters, we need to transmit energy. The result is getting balance.
“Hopefully it can help us get progressively better.”
Sessegnon: We collapsed
Fulham defender Ryan Sessegnon speaking to Sky Sports:
“We started the game very well and conceded a bizarre first goal.
“Going in at 1-1, it was a decent result at that point but we collapsed.
“For us to concede a third straight away, it’s disappointing.
“There is no real explanation it’s just poor. Poor defending from us.”