Aston Villa suffered a 1-0 defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage, leaving their Champions League qualification hopes still uncertain. Ryan Sessegnon's late first-half goal proved decisive, extending Villa's winless away run in the Premier League to five matches. Their last road victory came three months ago at Newcastle.
The first half-hour saw limited chances, with Emi Martinez making routine saves and Pau Torres clearing a ball meant for Raul Jimenez. Morgan Rogers came closest for Villa, flashing a shot wide after cutting in from the left. John McGinn's clever ball over the top set Rogers free, but his effort missed. Ollie Watkins also fired wide after a pass from Matty Cash.
Fulham took the lead just before the break when Sessegnon fired home after Martinez initially saved Sasa Lukic's close-range header, despite Ezri Konsa's attempt to clear off the line. After the restart, Lucas Digne was dispossessed by Harry Wilson, but the winger dragged his shot wide. Watkins had a chance to equalize on the hour mark after Torres found McGinn, who set up Watkins, but the striker lifted his effort over the bar.
Fulham thought they had doubled their lead when Timothy Castagne headed in from a corner, but referee Michael Oliver ruled a foul on Martinez. In the 75th minute, Unai Emery made multiple substitutions, possibly with Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest in mind. Jadon Sancho, Leon Bailey, Ross Barkley, and Douglas Luiz replaced Emi Buendia, McGinn, Lamare Bogarde, and Youri Tielemans. Tammy Abraham came on for Watkins in the 81st minute and created a chance with skillful play but lifted his finish high and wide.
Player Ratings
Emi Martinez: Made routine saves and denied Lukic initially but was beaten on the rebound. 6
Matty Cash: Played direct balls to Watkins but was caught out of position for the goal. 5
Ezri Konsa: Held the line well but couldn't adjust to block Sessegnon's finish. 6
Pau Torres: Booked early in the second half; played a key pass for Watkins' chance. 6
Lucas Digne: Lost possession leading to a big chance for Fulham. 5
Lamare Bogarde: Failed to get goal-side of Lukic before the header. 5
Youri Tielemans: Tidy on the ball and progressed play well. 6
John McGinn: Created two good chances with clever passes. 6
Morgan Rogers: Missed a good opportunity; not enough impact. 5
Emi Buendia: Lost possession cheaply, putting teammates in trouble. 5
Ollie Watkins: Lively but missed key chances. 5
Substitutes
Douglas Luiz: Helped Villa control the final quarter. 6
Ross Barkley: Would have wanted more time. 6
Leon Bailey: Little impact. 5
Jadon Sancho: Better performance from the bench. 6
Tammy Abraham: Created a chance but missed the target. 6
Subs not used: Bizot, Lindelof, Mings, Maatsen.
Goals: Fulham: Sessegnon (43'); Aston Villa: N/A.
