Ollie Watkins brace leads Aston Villa to victory at Fulham
Ollie Watkins led Aston Villa to victory (Bradley Collyer/PA)
Ollie Watkins’ double helped Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over a spirited Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The striker took his Premier League tally to 12 for the season and was the difference maker for Unai Emery’s men in west London.
Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz scored his fourth in three games but Villa dug in during the second half to claim all three points.
Villa fired an early warning shot when Watkins’ goal was chalked off for offside. John McGinn slipped the attacker through but the linesman deemed him to have moved too soon as Fulham avoided an early scare.
Muniz started over illness-stricken Armando Broja up front and the Brazilian looked to continue his rich vein of form, getting on the end of Andreas Pereira’s through ball before firing his effort over the bar.
After Fulham had a goal of their own ruled offside from a set-piece, Villa punished a series of errors and took the lead.
The usually reliable Antonee Robinson had a moment to forget when his throw-in put Willian under immense pressure at the back before Watkins powered the winger off the ball, marauding into the box and drilling his effort past Bernd Leno into the left-hand corner.
Fulham’s sloppiness continued and Leon Bailey looked to inflict more misery on Robinson. The pacey Jamaica international turned the left-back inside out with intricate skill before his curved strike cannoned off the bar, much to the relief of Marco Silva’s men.
The visitors turned the screw and doubled their lead through the clinical Watkins.
Villa’s number 11 caught Issa Diop napping, finding a gap to get on the end of Youri Tielemans’ pass before he picked his head up, paused and blasted his effort into his favourite
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