Villa beat Fulham to ensure best start in 26 years

Ollie Watkins scored his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign as Aston Villa made their best start to a season after eight games since 1998-99 with victory over Fulham.

Fulham took the lead when a long punt from Bernd Leno was chased down by Raul Jimenez and he won a tussle with last man Pau Torres before striking a left-footed shot low into the corner of the net.

Villa got themselves back on level terms four minutes later when a 20-yard shot from Morgan Rogers took a big deflection off Calvin Bassey and wrong-footed Leno.

Fulham were awarded a penalty shortly before the half-hour mark after Matty Cash was deemed to have blocked a Jimenez header back across goal – but Andreas Pereira’s tame low effort was saved by Emiliano Martinez.

Villa seized the initiative on the hour when England striker Watkins peeled away from Emile Smith Rowe and powerfully headed in a Youri Tielemans corner.

Fulham’s afternoon from that point only went from bad to worse as defender Joachim Andersen was sent off for dragging down Watkins before Issa Diop clumsily turned a low cross from Lucas Digne into his own net.

The only sour note for Villa was the dismissal of substitute Jaden Philogene, who was sent off for a second yellow card after he fouled Reiss Nelson in injury time.

Villa’s victory lifted them up to fifth in the table and while Fulham remain in ninth.

ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROMSPORTING TRIBUNE

ICYMI: Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar lead 2024 world’s highest-paid footballers