Aston Villa missed a crucial opportunity to climb into third place in the Premier League after suffering a narrow 1 0 defeat to Fulham FC at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
The decisive moment came just before half time when Ryan Sessegnon found the net, giving Fulham a vital lead and boosting their ambitions of qualifying for European competition next season.
Villa started brightly, with Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins both coming close to opening the scoring. However, their missed chances proved costly as Fulham capitalised late in the first half.
The goal came after Emiliano Martinez parried a header from Sasa Lukic, only for Sessegnon to react quickest and slot home the rebound.
Despite pushing for an equaliser in the second half, Villa struggled to convert their chances. Watkins missed a clear opportunity around the hour mark, while Fulham thought they had doubled their lead through Timothy Castagne, only for the goal to be ruled out following a foul on Martinez by referee Michael Oliver.
Under manager Unai Emery, Villa made several substitutions in search of a breakthrough, but Fulham held firm to secure all three points.
The result leaves Villa on 58 points, level with Manchester United but having played an extra game, denting their hopes of finishing in the top three. Still, they remain in a strong position to secure a top five finish, which would guarantee qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, Fulham climb to 10th place, level on points with Chelsea FC and just behind Brighton and Hove Albion as the race for European spots intensifies.
Villa will now shift focus to their upcoming Europa League semi final first leg against Nottingham Forest as they aim to keep their continental hopes alive.
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