Villa come from behind to claim first Premier League win of the season over Fulham | OneFootball

Aston Villa finally picked up their first Premier League victory of the campaign, coming from behind to beat Fulham 3-1 at Villa Park.

The visitors got off to a flying start, taking the lead inside three minutes when Raúl Jiménez nipped in at the near post to nod home after slipping away from Lamare Bogarde’s marking.

Marco Silva's side looked the brighter of the two sides early on and felt they should have had a penalty when a shot from Joshua King struck Matty Cash’s arm in the box, but VAR ruled that the defender’s arm was in a natural position.

Despite being second best for much of the first half, Villa drew level just before the break. A long ball forward from Lucas Digne somehow made its way through to Ollie Watkins, who calmly lifted the ball over Bernd Leno and into the net.

Unai Emery’s men came out after the interval with far more purpose, helped by Emi Buendía replacing Harvey Elliott. Bogarde robbed Adama Traoré of possession before John McGinn smashed a superb strike from the edge of the area to put the hosts ahead on 49 minutes.

Villa suddenly had the wind in their sails, and only two minutes later, Watkins set up Buendía to bundle in his first league goal since March 2023, stretching the lead to 3-1.

From then on, Villa looked much more assured, controlling most of the second half, though Fulham pressed hard in the closing stages to try and find a way back.

The three points move Villa clear of the bottom three, up to six overall, while Fulham’s run of three straight wins comes to an end, leaving them in 10th place.

Incidents: The story of the match

1':

The match begins

Fulham takes the lead with a score of 1-0 against Aston Villa. Raúl Jiménez scores with a header from within the six-yard box, directing the ball from the left side into the right corner of the net. The assist comes from Sasa Lukic, who delivered a precise cross following a corner kick.

3':

GOAL Fulham: Raúl Jiménez (Fulham) scores!

Raúl Jiménez scores goal number 1 in the competition (6 matches) Raúl Jiménez scores goal number 24 for his team (81 matches)

35':

Opportunity wasted. Matty Cash from Aston Villa attempted a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

It's now Aston Villa 1, Fulham 1. Ollie Watkins finds the back of the net for Aston Villa with a right-footed shot from the middle of the box, sending the ball into the upper part of the goal. The assist comes from Lucas Digne.

37':

GOAL Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) scores!

Ollie Watkins scores goal number 1 in the competition (6 matches)

45 +3':

Opportunity wasted! Harry Wilson from Fulham took a left-footed shot from the center of the box, but it sailed high and wide to the right. The assist came from Sasa Lukic.

Aston Villa takes the lead with a score of 2-1 against Fulham. John McGinn strikes with his left foot from outside the penalty area.

49':

GOAL Aston Villa: John McGinn (Aston Villa) scores!

John McGinn scores goal number 1 in the competition (6 matches)

Aston Villa leads Fulham 3-1. Emiliano Buendía scores with a right-footed shot from close range, placing the ball into the bottom left corner. The assist comes from Morgan Rogers.

51':

GOAL Aston Villa: Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa) scores!

Emiliano Buendía scores goal number 1 in the competition (5 matches)

64':

Opportunity wasted. Emiliano Buendía of Aston Villa attempted a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but it sailed high and to the right of the goal. The assist came from Lamare Bogarde.

82':

Opportunity wasted. Samuel Chukwueze from Fulham took a left-footed shot from the center of the box but it went wide to the left.

90 +1':

Opportunity wasted. Samuel Chukwueze from Fulham takes a left-footed shot from the center of the box, narrowly missing the target.

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match