Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Saturday, 30 January 2010
Gabriel Agbonlahor netted a brace to help Aston Villa get their Champions League hopes back on track and inflict more misery on a struggling Fulham side that have now lost five on the spin after Martin O'Neill's side won 2-0 at Craven Cottage.
Fulham v Aston Villa Match Report
Despite reaching the Carling Cup Final, Villa had seen their league form take a slump in their previous four games as they failed to score a goal and only picked up two points.
But Agbonlahor ensured they got back to winning ways with a stunning display which keeps alive their hopes of challenging for a top-four finish.
In stark contrast, Fulham's season is taking a major downward spiral and they could yet face a relegation dogfight if they don't improve their form in the next few weeks.
Villa came close to breaking the deadlock on 33 minutes when Ashley Young crossed for Luke Young whose close-range header produced a superb save from Mark Schwarzer who did well to tip the ball over the bar.
The away side continued to create the best openings and Stiliyan Petrov blew a golden chance to get on the scoresheet on 35 minutes when he was clean through inside the box but fired his shot over the bar.
Villa finally got their just rewards when Agbonlahor fired them into the lead on 40 minutes. Petrov's cross picked out the Villa striker who rose above Chris Smalling in the box and flashed a close-range header past Schwarzer.
It was his first league goal since he netted the winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December and could not have impressed Sir Alex Ferguson who was watching his latest new recruit from the stands.
Agbonlahor grabbed his second of the game on the stroke of half-time. Carlos Cuellar played the ball into the England forward and he curled a superb shot past Schwarzer into the corner of the net.
Fulham refused to lie down and almost pulled a goal back on 67 minutes when Smalling's header was kept out by Brad Friedel.
The home side finally had the ball in the back of the net on 76 minutes when substitute David Elm slotted a shot past Friedel but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Villa held on to record a comfortable win which gives them plenty of confidence as they prepare to face Tottenham and Manchester United at the start of February.
Fulham v Aston Villa Highlights Video
39:25 GOAL - Gabriel Agbonlahor:Fulham 0 - 1 Aston Villa
Gabriel Agbonlahor opens the scoring, beating Chris Smalling to a Stiliyan Petrov cross to head past Schwarzer.
43:40 GOAL - Gabriel Agbonlahor:Fulham 0 - 2 Aston Villa
Gabriel Agbonlahor puts Villa in firm control of this match, turning past Hangeland and curling a neat finish past the keeper. The big defender should have done better.
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We had been in a very good run up until we played at the Emirates before Christmas but after that we should have beaten Liverpool and West Ham.
"There has been a lot made of the fact we haven't scored a goal in four games so it was nice to right that today. They are three very valuable points as we try to stay with the leading pack.
"We played very well. We were the team pressing in the first half and we got the goals which I think our play deserved.
"In the second half it was a case of sitting on what we had but we saw it through reasonably comfortably and I thought it was an excellent performance."
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:
"We conceded two goals in a short space of time and at half-time it didn't seem that we deserved that.
Depleted Fulham 'lacked quality' - Hodgson
"I was concerned that we would lose our shape and you can face a catastrophe.
"We definitely dominated and took the game to them but ran up against a very solid defence and didn't create enough chances."
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