Watkins on target as Aston Villa overcome early blow to win at Fulham

Not since the 20th century have Aston Villa claimed this many points from their first eight Premier League games. They eventually finished sixth that season, but did not do anything so outrageous as beat Bayern Munich along the way. When will the Unai Emery era reach its ceiling?

There is little sign of it doing so at the moment, with Villa sticking resolutely to the heels of the division’s dominant trio, while racking up Champions League wins to boot. Since losing to Arsenal at the back end of August, Emery’s team have now strung together a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions, this latest win coming at the expense of a Fulham side whose supporters’ thoughts had prematurely begun to wander towards potential European football of their own next season, so impressive was their own early-season form.

The hosts were largely victims of their own downfall here, as three successive Premier League home wins made way for what would ultimately prove a comprehensive defeat.

The outcome might, so easily, have been different. Marco Silva’s side took an early lead through the resurgent Raúl Jiménez, missed a penalty to score a second and played the final half-hour with 10 men after Joachim Andersen was sent off. They threatened from the first minute to the last.

But Villa are too strong a side not to capitalise on such an advantage, with Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and an Issa Diop own-goal combining for the win.

Jiménez’s opener – his 10th goal in 12 Premier League starts – had come courtesy of the type of basic, route-one football rarely associated with a league that boasts of being the strongest in the world. A lumped ball from goalkeeper Bernd Leno soared all the way over Aston Villa’s defensive line, where Jiménez outmuscled Pau Torres with embarrassing ease and slotted neatly into the bottom corner, kissing the inside of the post on its way.

The visitors were level just five minutes later, aided by a hefty dose of good fortune. Morgan Rogers’ speculative long-range effort thudded into Calvin Bassey’s leg and flew into the opposite corner to its intended target, leaving a stranded Leno to stand and watch.

Both sides then wasted chances to add to their tally before half-time. First, Andreas Pereira offered up the meekest of penalties, which was easily held by Emi Martinez low to his left. Referee Darren England had belatedly pointed to the spot after watching Jiménez’s header strike Matty Cash’s outstretched arm on the pitchside monitor.

The visitors then returned that profligacy when Morgan Rogers somehow failed to find a gaping net after Ollie Watkins’ low cross across goal.

With the game in the balance and the clock steadily ticking towards Jhon Duran time, Villa edged ahead when a brilliant Watkins header staved off the Colombian’s imminent arrival.

Villa’s task of maintaining that lead was made considerably easier when Andersen was shown a straight red for shoving Watkins after the goalscorer had been released on goal. And, just minutes after coming off the bench, Andersen’s replacement at centre-back, Diop, duly compounded Fulham’s misery by turning a cross into his own net.

Playing numbers were equalled late on when Jaden Philogene was shown a second yellow in injury time for a push on Reiss Nelson, but Fulham were unable to add to their tally.