Aston Villa surged back into the Premier League’s top four after rallying from behind to secure a 3-1 victory against Fulham in a dramatic contest at Craven Cottage.
Both teams were reduced to ten men before the final whistle.
The game began at a breakneck pace, with Fulham’s Raul Jimenez breaking the deadlock early on, only for Villa’s Morgan Rogers to level things up moments later, with both goals coming within the first nine minutes.
Despite their promising start, Fulham missed several key chances to regain the lead in the first half.
Jimenez squandered a close-range header from just four yards out, while Andreas Pereira saw his penalty brilliantly denied by Emiliano Martinez, keeping the scoreline level.
Villa made Fulham rue their wasted opportunities when Ollie Watkins fired the visitors ahead for the first time in the match just before the 60-minute mark.
Fulham’s hopes of a comeback were further dented when Joachim Andersen was shown a straight red card.
Shortly after, Fulham’s Issa Diop inadvertently sealed the game for Villa by turning the ball into his own net.
Villa’s lead was secure, but the game ended on another sour note as substitute Jaden Philogene received his marching orders in the final minutes.
Despite the dismissal, Unai Emery’s side climbed to fourth in the Premier League standings, sitting on 17 points, which now puts them six points clear of Fulham, who slip to ninth after suffering back-to-back losses.
In another Premier League fixture, Everton continued their resurgence with a comfortable victory over Ipswich, extending their unbeaten run to four matches and putting them five points clear of the relegation zone.
After a shaky start to the season, this win marks a significant improvement, with Evertonians understandably cautious after witnessing the side throw away 2-0 leads against Bournemouth and Aston Villa earlier in the campaign.
However, under Sean Dyche’s guidance, Everton have rediscovered their defensive solidity, keeping successive clean sheets for the first time this season.
This brings their tally to 14 Premier League shutouts since October 2023, a total bettered only by Arsenal during that period.
The foundation of Dyche’s success lies in the team’s defensive structure, which has allowed them to gain momentum and climb the table.
At the attacking end, Iliman Ndiaye has proven to be a vital addition, bringing flair and creativity that Everton sorely missed last season.
The summer recruit from Marseille further endeared himself to fans by opening the scoring with a well-taken goal.
Veteran defender Michael Keane, often a divisive figure among supporters, silenced his critics with an emphatic left-footed strike into the top corner, securing the win for the Toffees.
While some may argue that Everton could have added more to their tally, it would be hard to fault a performance that resulted in a routine away victory.
