Saturday’s win was Villa’s seventh in nine Premier League games – a run that has taken them from mid-table obscurity to the brink of the Champions League places with three matches remaining.
Tielemans was the driving force against Fulham, pulling the strings in Villa’s midfield after giving them an early lead with his fifth goal of the season.
The Belgium international nearly fashioned a second before half-time with a perfectly weighted pass into Watkins, but Leno was off his line quickly to prevent the forward from doubling Villa’s advantage.
Leno then did well to get the faintest of touches to a ferocious Tielemans drive on the stroke of half-time – but referee Robert Jones failed to spot the German’s intervention and awarded a Fulham goal-kick.
-The hosts were relieved to see Sessegnon’s effort chalked off following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, and Harry Wilson failed to steer a magnificent Alex Iwobi pass beyond Martinez as Fulham started the second half with greater intent.
Ultimately, though, the hosts should have won by a more comfortable margin.
Watkins will be frustrated not to have got the goal which would have made him Villa’s outright Premier League leading scorer, and Malen was denied a fourth goal in six league games by the woodwork.
But the three points were what mattered for Emery’s team, who remain seventh but now are firmly in the Champions League picture.
