BIRMINGHAM — Aston Villa tightened their grip on a European qualification spot on Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham at Villa Park, thanks to a first-half strike from Ollie Watkins.
With the race for the top five heating up, Unai Emery’s side knew they couldn’t afford to slip at home — and they didn’t, even if it wasn’t their most fluid performance of the season. Watkins’ 32nd-minute goal proved decisive, as Villa held off a spirited Fulham side in a tense second half.
The goal came from a moment of sharp awareness. A long ball from Douglas Luiz found Watkins on the edge of the box, and the striker did well to control and fire a low shot past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. It was Watkins’ 19th league goal of the campaign, further solidifying his place among the Premier League’s top scorers.
Fulham had their moments, particularly in the final stages, but couldn’t find a way past Emiliano Martínez, who made several key stops to preserve the clean sheet.
“It’s a big win,” Emery said after the match. “We showed discipline and commitment. These are the kinds of games you have to grind out if you want to stay in the European conversation.”
Villa now sit firmly in fifth, while Fulham’s hopes of a top-half finish took a dent with the loss.
For Marco Silva’s side, it was a frustrating afternoon. “We created chances, especially in the second half, but lacked that cutting edge,” he admitted.
With just a handful of games left, every point counts — and for Villa, this gritty win might prove to be one of the most important of their season.
