Aston Villa secured their first Premier League win of the season with a thrilling 3-1 comeback over Fulham on Sunday, ending a five-match winless streak.
The Villans, who were languishing in the relegation zone ahead of this match, came from behind to clinch a vital victory, pushing them up to 16th in the standings. A win that was much-needed after a difficult start to the season, having accumulated just three points from their opening five games.
The match at Villa Park had a dramatic opening as Fulham took an early lead in the third minute. Raul Jimenez rose high to head home a corner from Sasa Lukic, putting the visitors ahead. Despite their early dominance, Fulham felt unlucky not to have extended their lead during the opening half-hour.
The Cottagers had two strong penalty appeals turned down. First, Josh King was harshly booked for diving after being clipped by Villa’s goalkeeper Emi Martinez. Then, Matty Cash escaped a handball claim when he blocked a goalbound shot from King.
While Fulham controlled much of the early proceedings, it was Villa who found the breakthrough just before half-time. Ollie Watkins, whose recent goal drought had been a major talking point, ended his 11-match barren spell with a delicate lob over Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno. His goal turned the tide in Villa’s favour.
The second half saw Villa take complete control of the match. In the 47th minute, John McGinn fired a powerful shot from outside the box into the bottom corner to put Villa ahead. Just minutes later, Watkins’ smart run behind the Fulham defence set up Emi Buendia, who calmly slotted the ball into the net to seal the victory.
With this victory, Villa leapfrogged Fulham in the standings and now sit just two points behind the London side, who dropped to 10th place.
