Sessegnon strike the difference as Fulham edge to tense win against Aston Villa

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a] started brightly, and a better square ball from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-rowe-emile/fsJB9j4d/"]Emile Smith-Rowe[/a] would have allowed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jimenez-raul/ENwqg0Pd/"]Raul Jimenez[/a] to open the scoring after just two minutes, with the visiting defence looking in vain for an offside flag.[/p][p]The Cottagers failed to register a shot on target all game in their last outing against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a], but both Jimenez and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukic-sasa/nwu2UvUA/"]Sasa Lukic[/a] tested [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-emiliano/ziCcc5jM/"]Emiliano Martinez[/a] inside the first quarter of an hour, albeit without forcing the very best out of the FIFA World Cup winner. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] grew in threat as the half wore on, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Morgan Rogers[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/watkins-ollie/rHnOkDD8/"]Ollie Watkins[/a] both flashed efforts narrowly past the post.[/p][p][b]However, they were undone at the other end by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sessegnon-ryan/WOecsPmi/"]Sessegnon[/a] moments before the break, with Martinez only able to parry Lukic’s header into the path of the full-back, who tucked his effort away coolly through a crowd of bodies.[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="56911489-32c1-493a-8dd8-ee7a47dcccb7" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="814b83ff-298b-49bf-90d6-ceea208e1c85" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-harry/KWbu7UwK/"]Harry Wilson[/a] should really have doubled Fulham’s lead at the start of the second half as the ball squirmed its way into him behind the Villa back line, but he dragged his effort wide, with Jiménez screaming for the pass.[/p][p]Watkins then had a chance to restore parity shortly before the hour mark after deftly receiving a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcginn-john/rgGnzD2e/"]John McGinn[/a] pass, yet the in-form striker could only muster an uncharacteristically wild effort. It could have been game over when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castagne-timothy/xYfOMcA5/"]Timothy Castagne[/a] found the net from a sweet Lukić corner, only for Emery’s side to be handed a lifeline as the officials chalked it off for a foul on the goalkeeper. [/p][p]In the end, though, even this one-goal deficit proved insurmountable for the away side, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abraham-tammy/OYhxyduf/"]Tammy Abraham[/a] spurning the last real chance as he failed to repeat his super-sub act.[/p][p]Villa remain on course for a UEFA Champions League berth, but still require six points to mathematically confirm it, pending results elsewhere. Fulham, for their part, move within a point of seventh, looking to secure European football for the first time since 2011/12. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lukic-sasa/nwu2UvUA/"]Sasa Lukic[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="7a45f62e-1256-4cb0-be56-3f89cbee64d3" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="d2a535c7-7a4e-4c18-ab6e-9d8dc6f20e18" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aston-villa-W00wmLO0/fulham-69ZiU2Om/?mid=CpqK7xA4"][b]Click here for all the stats on the match[/b][/a].[/p]