Aston Villa hit back to beat Fulham and end wait for first Premier League win
Aston Villa came from a goal down to beat Fulham 3-1 at Villa Park, securing their first Premier League victory of the season. Goalscoring had been a major problem for Villa, who entered the game with just one league goal to their name. However, that issue was emphatically put to bed on Sunday.
Villa kicked off their campaign with a Europa League win over Bologna in midweek, and they backed it up by earning their first domestic triumph—capping off a successful few days for manager Unai Emery.
Fulham had looked set to claim a fourth straight victory in all competitions when Raul Jimenez nodded in an early header. But the hosts showed great character to level the score, thanks to Ollie Watkins, who ended his goal drought with his first goal of the season.
The spirited Villa team put Fulham to the sword after the interval, scoring two quickfire goals. John McGinn, the match-winner on Thursday, stood up once again when it mattered, putting his side ahead. Emi Buendia then sealed the win with a well-taken strike, making the points safe.
This win lifted Emery’s side out of the bottom three, and they will be hoping it proves a turning point in their season.
—
The hosts got off to the worst possible start when Fulham took the lead just three minutes into the game. After winning an early corner, Sasa Lukic whipped in a ball to Raul Jimenez, who glanced a header inside the near post, silencing an already nervous Villa Park.
Villa responded quickly. Harvey Elliott, playing his full league debut for the club, connected with a cross at the far post but saw his effort blocked by Ryan Sessegnon. The home side should have been level by the 18th minute after Calvin Bassey gifted possession to McGinn inside the area, but the Villa captain was unable to finish.
However, eight minutes before half-time, Villa found the equaliser. Watkins beat the offside trap to latch onto a long ball over the top from Lucas Digne, lifting his finish over the onrushing Bernd Leno and into the net.
At the other end, Emiliano Martinez was forced into a save to prevent Fulham from retaking the lead, keeping out a header from the lively Josh King.
—
Villa Park erupted early in the second half as the hosts turned the game on its head with two goals in just 104 seconds.
First, Adama Traore was caught in possession, allowing McGinn to pounce on the ball and fire a pinpoint strike into the bottom left-hand corner.
The fans had barely finished celebrating before Watkins turned provider, setting up Buendia to poke home and put the game beyond Fulham’s reach.
In a chaotic few minutes, Fulham almost pulled a goal back. Martinez made a mistake that allowed the ball to be fed to Lukic, but the goalkeeper was rescued by a heroic goal-line clearance from Ezri Konsa.
With that, Villa finally got their Premier League campaign up and running.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/aston-villa-hit-back-to-beat-fulham-and-end-wait-for-first-premier-league-win-1812260.html
