Well, that was much-needed from Aston Villa!
After a week or so to forget, with the defeat against Manchester United and then the major injuries to more key players, this 2-1 win at Craven Cottage just eased the pain for everyone.
It was a deserved victory for the Aston Villa players, with that defensive lapse from Clement Lenglet and Emiliano Martinez resulting in Fulham scoring and making the tie more tense than it should have been.
During the game itself, Unai Emery lauded John McGinn’s display and how he ‘responds very well’ when the game needs something extra, as he told BBC Sport.
Once again, the Aston Villa captain led by example and produced another outstanding display in the middle of the park.
More of these are going to be needed, especially from a defensive standpoint because Boubacar Kamara won’t kick a ball again this season.
Regardless of what happens on the pitch, that will still remain a huge blow, not forgetting that the likes of Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa are also sidelined.
But, as Unai Emery alluded to, John McGinn is proving to be one of the ‘leaders’ on the field of play and outside of the pitch.
Aston Villa beat Fulham at Craven Cottage
“John McGinn’s spirit is amazing, his qualities as well,” said Emery. “When the match needed something more, he responded very well, because he is an experienced player and it’s something he is playing for something higher in his career, like to be in the top seven, top five and top four.
“Of course, he is very motivated as well. He is one of the leaders in the dressing room and the pitch as well.
“His availability to play in different positions – you can always feel with him 90 minutes, it’s not a long time for him to play in good fitness, good mood and good spirit.”
Aston Villa return to Champions League places
The other positive for the team was Tottenham dropping points at home to Wolves, which pushed Villa back into fourth spot.
When the injuries hit the team, one of the worrying signs was the fact that we were hitting a blip, falling out of the top four and looking behind us rather than ahead.
But we can start to look forward again and try to push away from the chasing pack, with Nottingham Forest up next at Villa Park.
Villa were unbelievable on home soil in 2023, but are yet to get going in the New Year. This is where we start the ball rolling again.
