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Key occasions
45 min: Ooof, Tielemans smashes the ball after being laid up by McGinn. A screamer, and what a save from Leno. No nook given, however then the Villa screens present the German bought a contact…boooooo! Only a minute added on. It’s been breathless, all-action.
44 min: Kenny Tete penalised. That’s a second foul from him. He appears to be like irritated with the ref.
43 min: Fulham simply can’t get into it. Villa are throughout their midfield and but don’t look too harmful…..oh right here’s an opportunity for Jimenez, who finds no assist so has a dig from distance.
42 min: Unhealthy free-kick time: a waste of a promising place as Sasa Lukic thrashes the ball into the wall.
40 min: Money is shipped away by Asensio however there Villa hit heavy site visitors. Fulham are defending deep.
39 min: Leno slides out to hack away a ball geared toward Watkins. Villa in search of a second earlier than half-time.
38 min: Rogers – finally – exhibits off his talent, bobbing and weaving however his ball to Watkins is intercepted.
37 min: Villa with a lot of the ball however not trying too sharp in assault. They’re slightly grinding by means of the gears right here.
35 min: Gary Naylor will get in contact: Approaching Liverpool on the practice en path to Goodison, admittedly in the beginning slightly than the top of Could, I used to be reminded of Phillip Larkin’s poem, The Whitsun Weddings I’ll simply say that occasions change…
The excellent news for Hull Metropolis fan Phil is that his crew are out of hazard. For now.
34 min: Fulham free-kick, geared toward Jimenez, with requires a Matty Money pull. There was zero contact so we play on.
33 min: A push on Watkins? No says referee Rob Jones. The Fulham Jolly Boys make themselves heard for the primary time. Their crew has not been too good to this point. Not that Villa are flying.
Peter Lansley
31 min: From Villa Park. This was a wierd second:
“Unusual little irritation for Villa after their aim. Morgan Rogers, having contributed the pre-assist earlier than the help, his go releasing Asensio to shoot to win the nook, is requested to remain off the pitch for 30 seconds after he went to alter his shirt on the touchline within the downtime between aim and kick-off. He was effectively grumpy about that.”
30 min: Yellow card for Sessegnon for hauling again Maatsen. An inexpensive yellow, too.
29 min: Kamara, such a mainstay on the base of midfield, begins an assault. Seems to be like Harry Wilson has a knock although one he can run off.
28 min: Rogers, who has been quiet, is shipped away and there’s actual hazard, just for the majority of Calvin Bassey to smash into the England man.
25 min: Good work from Matty Money in closing off the hazard of Alex Iwobi, who generally is a excellent participant on his day, as Liverpool discovered.
23 min: Sessegnon down the fitting, and he reduce it inside to Harry Wilson, who has his shot blocked. Fulham fail to make a lot of the nook.
21 min: Judging by the loud noises coming from my neighbour, the Championship closing day is serving up some pleasure. He’s a Luton fan. Comply with his agonies right here with the legend that’s Rob Smyth.
19 min: Leno speeds out to chase a by means of ball from Tielemans that had Watkins’ title on it.
17 min: Villa throughout this. Fulham have been manner off it. That is what holds them again. There’s actual expertise there.
16 min: One other Villa free-kick, this time from 50 yards out, taken quick and ultimately again with the goalie. Not one in all Austin’s finest, that. 4-D chess? In all probability not.
14 min: Fulham search to hit again immediately however they’re struggling in midfield.
13 min: Villa so good at set items. One other private triumph from Austin McPhee. Nicolas Jover, it’s over to you.
Objective! Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham (Tielemans, 12)
Beautiful ball in from McGinn and Tielemans assaults the house to nod in.
11 min: Sessegnon is shipped away, and bursts previous Pau Torres. There’s a conflict of our bodies within the field however no fouls and the ball is cleared for a Villa counter. Asensio wins a nook.
10 min: Iwobi on the run, and Tielemans clears up for Villa. Fulham exerting some strain.
9 min: Fulham attempt to go the ball round, calm issues down a bit. Iwobi is the goal of an extended ball however nothing doing.
7 min: Sessegnon chases again to cease a Maatsen overlap. He concedes a nook, and Asensio takes it quick, the ball geared toward Watkins, who can’t get excessive sufficient on it for path.
5 min: Maatsen has to step out and break up the primary correct Fulham assault. Robinson, trying rusty, clatterers Asensio and will get a reserving.
4 min: Watkins makes his first surge, however is stopped in his tracks. Fulham play the ball out with Leno taking part in the ball out within the trend that frustrates so many. He performed Robinson proper into hassle.
2 min: Aston Villa start with a domination of possession. The excessive press is being engaged. They’re on a run of six in a row.
Kick-off at Villa Park
1 min: We’ve had Ozzy Osbourne’s Loopy Prepare so right here we go. Fulham try a Brentford-style wildcat assault from the kick-off. The temperature has dropped from the flag-cracking warmth of this week. Solid ne’er a clout until Could also be out.
The groups are out at Villa Park, and there’s a lot at stake for each.
Richard Hirst, time-honoured Cottager, will get in contact: “Fulham must deliver Cairney on early then we will channel the 2018 play off closing: Sessegnon to Cairney, 1-0. Though there received’t be the added delight of the go beating John Terry.”
Unai Emery spoke to TNT forward of the sport: “We’re so targeted to attempt to get Europe. Europe is the very best ambition we will dream of, and to play Champions League once more.
“We’re on this run, however we’re not favourites – the groups in entrance of us are. If we win as we speak, we will have extra choices to play Champions League. We have to get the vitality [from the supporters here]. They’re feeling us. They assist us. We’re in our fortress.”
Peter Lansley
Unai Emery isn’t holding again on praising his crew’s efforts in staying in rivalry for Europe once more. There’s no want for false restraints at this stage of the season. “We’re attending to the final 4 matches with choices to qualify for subsequent 12 months in European competitions,” he wrote in his In his programme notes. “It should occur if gamers, house owners, and the supporters preserve rowing collectively, identical tempo and identical path.
“In order a crew, as a membership, we have to clear our minds and give attention to what actually issues now.”
He even emphasised the necessity for “FOCUS” and “ENERGY” with each capitalised within the pre-match programme.
Glorious piece from final week on the brand new Fulham.
Andrew Tate will get in contact: “I’m assuming the point out of Watkins clinching the highest scoring file if he scores as we speak relates solely to the Premier League, as 75 appears a mite low for such an august crew? “
Sure, he’s degree with Gabby Agbonlahor, and 14 forward of Dwight Yorke. John Carew’s in tenth on 37.
1992: now 33 years in the past.
View from Villa Park
Lots to play for at Villa Park as Fulham preserve sights set on the top-eight end that ought to deliver them European qualification and their highest Premier League end.
How will Aston Villa bounce again from the crushing disappointment of their no-show on the FA Cup semi-final, towards Crystal Palace any Wembley final Sunday, that adopted their Champions League exit?
Maatsen replaces Digne at left-back however spare a thought for Ollie Watkins, whose sustained excellence over the previous 18 months plus in main Villa to this stage had resulted in his being demoted behind Marcus Rashford in Unai Emery’s favoured beginning XI – just for the on-loan Manchester United man to be dominated out with a hamstring damage. Watkins is claimed to not be angling for a summer season transfer, regardless of curiosity from Chelsea following that from Arsenal, however he should marvel what he’s meant to do. Nonetheless, Watkins is high quality, has character, and an important scoring file.
He’s scored in his final three conferences with Fulham and yet another as we speak will take him away from Gabby Agbonlaor (each on 75) as Villa’s all-time main goalscorer.
Robinson and Lukic return for Fulham however Sessegnon retains his place, simply greater up the pitch as a substitute of Willian.
No Marcus Rashford: appears we might by no means see him in a Villa shirt once more. Ollie Watkins begins up entrance regardless of these studies of being unsettled. Ian Maatsen in for Lucas Digne is Unai Emery’s solely change from Wembley.
Two Fulham adjustments: Sasa Lukic exchange Andreas Pereira, presumably injured, whereas Antonee Robinson begins at left-back as he returns from damage.
The groups
Aston Villa: Martinez, Money, Konsa, Pau Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, Rogers, Asensio, McGinn, Watkins. Subs: Olsen, Mings, Barkley, Digne, Garcia, Malen, Onana, Bailey, Ramsey
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Lukic, Berge, Sessegnon, Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi. Subs: Benda, Reed, Cairney, Adama, Vinicius, Cuenca, Castagne, Willian, Smith Rowe
The desk: exhibiting a gulf between seventh and eighth.
Preamble
This can be a massive sport for each golf equipment. It’s a battle of seventh v eighth however they’re preventing on completely different fronts. Villa, licking their wounds after exiting the Champions League and FA Cup, wish to get again into the highest 5. Manchester Metropolis’s win final evening left Chelsea to be shot at. They’re in fifth. Fulham can seize a type of locations left spare by different groups’ successes – United and Spurs within the Europa League, Arsenal within the Champions League, Metropolis within the FA Cup? – however provided that they cease being so inconsistent. They’re going to must play higher than they did in beating Southampton final week.
Kick-off at 12.30pm UK time. Be part of me.
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