Watkins 'shuts a few people up' - now Villa aim to push on

Unai Emery's reactions said it all.

The raw emotion in Emery's goal celebrations, as he turned and pumped his fists towards the Aston Villa crowd, was in contrast to the statuesque figure he cut an hour before.

Raul Jimenez had just given Fulham a third-minute lead as the Cottagers looked to end their wretched run at Villa Park.

But that run continues - Ollie Watkins ended his wait for a goal and John McGinn and Emi Buendia grabbed quickfire strikes - meaning the Cottagers have won once in their past 22 league visits to Villa.

Emery celebrated McGinn and Buendia's strikes as if they had secured a title, a nod to the pressure the head coach puts himself under.

The former Arsenal manager's position at Villa is secure - he helped pick Roberto Olabe as Villa's new president of football operations after Monchi's exit last week - and one bad month does not undo the years of progress under him.

Yet it has been a deeply underwhelming period for Aston Villa - five winless games to start the season, and one Premier League goal, before Fulham's visit.

Another flat performance was lifted by Watkins' leveller but at that point it could not hide the cracks - Villa failed to make a single tackle in the first half.

Two goals in two second-half minutes from McGinn and Buendia turned the afternoon into a stroll.

League win number one was secured in match six. It's the furthest into a Premier League campaign that Villa have gone before a first win. And it's their latest in any league season since 1969-70, when they were in the second tier, and didn't get a first win until their 10th match.

Victory over Fulham came three days after a Europa League win over Bologna - and can be a catalyst for recovery.

For all their wobbles, they are only five points off the top four.

"We've been praised a lot the past few seasons so, as a footballer, you take the highs and the lows and you have to take the criticism on the chin. It's been deserved, we've not been good enough," captain McGinn told Sky Sports.

"But today and Thursday night [against Bologna] is a lot more like ourselves. We know we're still a good team and a team that teams don't enjoy playing against - and today we showed that in abundance."

Villa had plenty of help from Fulham. For while the visitors felt they should have had a first-half penalty - Josh King instead booked for simulation when he went down under Emi Martinez's challenge - their early second-half collapse gift-wrapped victory.

"I think our results are bringing balance," Emery said. "We are not where we want to be but this result will hopefully help us get better. How the players are connecting and adapting are important."

Ollie Watkins ended a run of 700 minutes without scoring in the Premier League

That Watkins was the one to start Villa's comeback was fitting.

He ended a run of 700 minutes without scoring in the Premier League when he lifted the ball over Bernd Leno eight minutes before half-time.

It was his fifth goal in his past five league games against Fulham and none are likely to have been sweeter - with the spotlight on him intensified following his missed penalty against Bologna.

"He has had a lot of criticism in recent weeks but what he will get from us as team-mates and staff is love and support. What he has given us in recent seasons is nothing short of brilliant," McGinn told Match of the Day.

"He always has a spell in the season when it doesn't quite click for him but he runs a lot and he works hard and then when he gets the ball you expect that he will score. Hopefully that shuts a few people up."

Watkins' cute finish, after Fulham failed to deal with Lucas Digne's deep pass, was his first since scoring against Bournemouth at the end of last season.

Emery said: "Hopefully he can keep going. It's the consequence of how he played in 30 minutes on Thursday. The most important and first step forward is to play, focus, be demanding and he was doing it on Thursday and today.

"The goals are hopefully [also] coming for the next match."

Watkins is Villa's record Premier League scorer with 76 goals and England women's record scorer Ellen White believes his latest strike proved his quality.

"Ollie Watkins has scored so many goals in the Premier League for Aston Villa but to go nine games without a goal will have affected him," the former Arsenal and Manchester City striker told Match of the Day.

"When he scored, it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. When you are a striker and you are not scoring, of course you think about it and it does weigh heavily.

"I felt like Watkins was still getting in the right positions, he was still having shots on target - it was just that clinical edge that was missing.

"Sometimes you just need that bit of luck, and he got that with his goal - it is a beautiful finish over the keeper and into the net, and it was obvious he was not thinking about it - instead it just happened."

Buendia makes it a good day for Villa

Emi Buendia replaced Harvey Elliott at half time at Villa Park

A subplot was Buendia's impact from the bench.

The attacking midfielder set up McGinn, before scoring himself two minutes later, after being introduced at the restart.

It was his first Villa goal for a year - since scoring in the Carabao Cup against Wycombe last September - and first in the Premier League since March 2023.

Villa were open to letting the 28-year-old leave in the summer after he spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.

Buendia wanted to fight for his place, having joined from Norwich in a then club record £38m deal in 2021 before seeing his Villa career interrupted by a serious knee injury two years ago, which kept him out for the entire 2023-24 season.

"He didn't want to leave, he had the possibility to leave in the transfer window but he wanted to stay here and take the commitment here. He is showing it every day and every match," said Emery.

"We used it to get his best, energy, commitment and qualities. He scored, he helped us and he is going to be important this year."

Staying could be a wise decision from the former Getafe youngster with Villa needing creativity and goals after their stuttering start.

Buendia told Sky Sports: "Of course, it is really amazing, a first Premier League goal in years, with the injury and a few years I had a few low moments. I worked hard to be back here again so I am really happy."