Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham: Cottagers European hopes in the balancepublished at 15:11 BST 3 May
15:11 BST 3 May
Matthew Howarth BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Eighth place could yet be enough to secure European football this season, but Fulham have a battle on their hands with Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford breathing down their necks.
Aston Villa's early winner was a soft one to concede as Youri Tielemans escaped the attentions of midfielder Sasa Lukic before beating goalkeeper Bernd Leno with a firm header, but the visitors carried more of a threat after half-time and were unfortunate not to be level early in the second period.
Ryan Sessegnon had an effort ruled out because the ball struck the 24-year-old's left hand as he set himself up for the shot, before Harry Wilson failed to get a decisive touch on a magnificent Alex Iwobi pass not long afterwards.
Fulham have now lost six of their past 10 games in the league – as many as in their first 25 games of the campaign.
They will be overtaken by Bournemouth if the Cherries avoid defeat at Arsenal in Saturday's late game, while Brighton and Brentford are both in action on Sunday.
'We showed spirit and moments of quality'published at 15:03 BST 3 May
15:03 BST 3 May
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Marco Silva spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Fulham's defeat against Aston Villa: "We did show a great spirit, commitment and attitude and in the second half some good moments of quality too.
"This was a game both teams wanted to win, it is always difficult in a game like this, that is like a final.
"At 1-0 at half time we had two great chances to equalise the game. Even with 10 men, very unlucky ourselves pushing them back. They were wasting time every single time and that showed how difficult it was for them.
"We have to keep looking to the next one. Today was a final and our next final is against Everton. We have to keep fighting."
Sutton's predictions: Aston Villa v Fulhampublished at 19:11 BST 2 May
19:11 BST 2 May
It would be easy to say the wheels have come off at Aston Villa, wouldn't it?
In the past couple of weeks, they have gone out of the Champions League and FA Cup, and losing their last Premier League game has left them playing catch-up in the top-five race.
I don't think Unai Emery's side will crumble from here, though, even if Marcus Rashford's season-ending injury is a big blow.
Villa need to win this, and they also need a big performance from Ollie Watkins. If he starts banging the goals in again then that would be a huge boost for their run-in.
Fulham are a nightmare to predict, as I've mentioned in previous weeks, and they are certainly capable of getting something here.
I don't think Villa can keep a clean sheet - which probably means they will stop Fulham scoring - but I have a feeling things will click for them in front of goal.
Also, they are at home too so, if they need them, their fans can help to get them over the line.
Fulham supporters' trust 'worried' by price risespublished at 12:57 BST 2 May
12:57 BST 2 May
Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter
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Fulham Supporters' Trust has expressed "regret and worry" about a 2.8% rise in season ticket prices.
The west London club's prices range from a league-high £3,000 in the new Riverside Stand, to £473.
FST, the biggest fan group at Craven Cottage, began taking on Shahid Khan's ownership with a yellow card protest over ticket prices in April 2023, before a 4% increase last season.
It has continued to fight stadium price rise, while accepting the expansion of the new Riverside Stand, which has a rooftop pool and will be fully operational next weekend, is an important revenue stream for hospitality packages.
Marco Silva's side are chasing European qualification for the first time since 2011, and FST praised aspects of Khan's leadership and "continued investment in the club, the team and the stadium" in its latest statement, while criticising the price rises.
FST had argued for a price freeze in line with some other Premier League clubs, and questioned "whether increases in ticket prices will materially change the club's financial position".
It added: "Matchday revenue - not just tickets - amounted to a mere 10% of the total in the last financial results, dwarfed by revenue from the Premier League, commercial sponsorship and broadcasters.
"Ticket price increases have a disproportionately small impact on profitability but a much more material impact on long-standing loyal supporters.
"The new world-class facilities offered by the Riverside Stand should have been prioritised as target areas for revenue increases."
The statement also praised Fulham for keeping concessions and releasing further season tickets but criticised the club for not consulting FST. However, FST has a seat on the Fan Advisory Board (FAB), which praised the club for "maintaining affordability for supporters while long-term financial sustainability goals".
Fulham had already explained they "respect financial challenges can impact both supporters and organisations" and that the decision "was made with careful consideration, largely driven by the continued rise in matchday and operational costs".
"Our ambition to be financially sustainable, as well as competitive on the pitch in an ever-demanding Premier League, are also always important factors when deliberating ticket prices," the club added.
Though Andreas Pereira has created more chances from set play than any other player in the Premier League this season (37), no team have scored fewer set-piece goals (excluding penalties) than Fulham this season (five).
Silva on Muniz, Tete's deal and Willian's futurepublished at 17:00 BST 1 May
17:00 BST 1 May
Tyrese King BBC Sport journalist
Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Aston Villa (kick-off 12:30 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Silva believes that it will be "difficult" for Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz to be ready to play a part in Fulham's end-of-season games.
Silver said: "Not for this game, not for the next one. It's going to be difficult for the rest of the season. The news is not good regarding Rodrigo Muniz."
However there is positive news as left-back Antonee Robinson is available for the weekend after being out with an achilles injury.
Aston Villa will be a "big, big game," according to Silva. Speaking further he said: "I really believe it's a big game for Villa too. An amazing place to play football, a great environment to be in. The pressure from the Villa supporters is going to be big. "It's a great challenge for us, another great test. We really love to play in these types of games, and we need to step in and show our quality."
On Aston Villa: "We are talking about a team that showed their ambition, not just last pre-season, but in January by making five signings. They were really assertive and Unai is always saying about the solutions he has, and the competition he has in the squad. They have high-quality all around their squad, and it's going to be a great test for us."
On Willian's future: "Like Willian and other contract situations, they need to be analysed at the right moment. We have some other guys as well, and important decisions will be made in the summer."
Silva praised Willian, stating: "We need to be honest with him. His reactions have been very good, especially his pressing. He's working very hard; every time we have seen him on the pitch in those three games, he has shown the quality we know he has. He's not that very quick player anymore, but he has shown his good qualities. We are delighted with him, but a decision will be made at the end of the season."
Silva also denied the rumours linking Fulham with full-backs such as Kyle Walker-Peters instead of renewing Kenny Tete's deal: "Our priority is to renew with Kenny, who is at the end of his contract, and it's normal for other teams to be linked with him as well."
'It is never over' on this 'rollercoaster ride'published at 12:31 BST 29 April
12:31 BST 29 April
Drew Heatley Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Never leave a Fulham game early.
Ryan Sessegnon's late winner on Saturday means Fulham have won the third-highest number of points from a losing position this season.
This, coupled with the fact we have lost the second-highest number of points from a winning position, has defined this campaign.
They have given us the highs and lows that have punctuated this rollercoaster ride.
Just as games like Chelsea last week felt like sucker punches, late goals like Sess's against the Saints, his strike against Spurs, and Harry Wilson's injury-time double against Brentford have sent Fulham fans into raptures – and mean that we are still in the hunt for a European berth next term.
Many of our late goals have come from substitutions. In fact, they have contributed 15 of our 50 strikes this season. One more of those would be a Premier League record, a testament to Marco Silva's ability to shuffle the deck.
There are just four games of the season left – and each one feels like a cup final, as cliched as that sounds. Currently, it is in our own hands, but we have some tough fixtures ahead.
We travel to Villa Park next weekend to face an Aston Villa side desperate to squeeze into the top five. Then we host Everton, before a West London derby at the Gtech Stadium; we have picked up just one point there since Brentford moved in.
And, to top it all off, Manchester City visit Craven Cottage on the final day. We will all be praying for a bit of daylight between us and the chasing pack by that point, or we could be suffering some late heartbreak once more.
But, with Fulham it is never over until the final whistle. So, stay in your seats for the end of this tale.
Gossip: Fulham keen on Walker-Peterspublished at 07:28 BST 29 April
07:28 BST 29 April
Fulham are interested in signing 28-year-old England full-back Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer when his Southampton contract expires this summer. (Sky Sports), external
Chris: Utter dross. These are supposedly 'professional' footballers - I think they need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror. I've seen more skill and passion from non-league sides.
Oliver: A game of two halves - the nostalgic Southampton of then and the daunting Southampton of now. Simon Rusk has elevated us from 'that bad' to 'not that bad', and we looked like dominant for the first 45 minutes. Unfortunately, the second half underscored our disappointing season and the sad reality that lesser sides like Fulham, among others, have overtaken us. It left me with doubt that we could ever return to our glory days.
Bill: I'm not sure how many time Jan Bednarek has cost us points this season. I realise that at times he has saved us, but sadly neither he nor Jack Stephens are Premier League standard and they never have been. Our defence was tired and disorganised but I wasn't aware of any forwards having a pop at goal. If you don't shoot you won't score! I'm not sure why folk thought Ross Stewart was the prodigal son returning. I've not seen anything to persuade me of his value to the club. Sell him!
Marc: Stephens was a gladiator - he gave it his all. It's a shame the rest of his team couldn't be bothered. Super Jack Stephens.
Fulham fans
Matthew: A pretty poor performance, particularly in the first half. Many individual errors throughout the whole game and we were very lucky that Southampton had no threat. Credit where it's due for Southampton's gameplan, but also the Fulham substitutes were impactful. I also felt Southampton's substitute of Stewart for Cameron Archer really helped Fulham. A win is a win!
Richard: Three points, but what a struggle to get there. They are not likely to make Europe - they are just too inconsistent and conceding late goals has been their undoing.
Will: We never make it easy for ourselves. We need Crystal Palace to lose the FA Cup final for eighth place to be good enough. We need to do all that we can to keep our position.
Michael: I really can't understand why Marco Silva keeps playing Andreas Pereira because he makes very little contribution to the overall game. Time and time again he fails to make a decent cross from a corner and worse still his free kicks are consistently poor. His unnecessary tackle in the 17th minute gifted Southampton their first attempt. Time to go, I think.
Sessegnon 'could be the shining light'published at 08:13 BST 28 April
08:13 BST 28 April
Laura Kenyon Final Score reporter
Image source, Getty Images
"We needed that" posted Ryan Sessegnon on X after bagging the late winner at Southampton.
In fact, it is Fulham who seem to need Sessegnon as they fight for European football.
In the goals department, Fulham are at risk of faltering. Raul Jimenez, their top scorer, has not found the back of the net since early March with their in-form frontman Rodrigo Muniz now sidelined through injury.
At times against Southampton, it seemed like they would never score. Despite relentless pressure, they lacked quality in the final third.
So the Fulham fans look to 24-year-old academy product Sessegnon, who is enjoying a second spell at his first professional club and given his form, he could be the shining light illuminating the route to Europe next season.
Catch up on the Premier League actionpublished at 12:29 BST 27 April
12:29 BST 27 April
Mark Chapman presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, which saw Ipswich Town's relegation from the top-flight confirmed.
And in doing so, Marco Silva's side bolstered their hopes of playing in Europe for the first time since a Europa League campaign in 2011-12.
On the back of defeats against Bournemouth and Chelsea, Fulham endured a first half to forget at St Mary's Stadium as they fell behind to a Jack Stephens goal and failed to register a single shot on target.
But it was the substitutes who helped turn their fortunes around as Emile Smith Rowe grabbed the equaliser only six minutes after coming on in the 66th minute - with his side's first shot on target.
Silva's changes were also crucial behind Ryan Sessegnon's winning goal in the second minute of second-half added time.
Tom Cairney and Adama Traore, both having come off the bench, exchanged passes before the Spanish winger crossed in from the right for Sessegnon to head past Aaron Ramsdale and inflict another painful defeat on the Saints.
The win helped the Cottagers climb to eighth and if they could hold on to the position, it could give them a berth in next season's Europa League or Conference League.
But competition will be stiff as they remain tied on 51 points with Brighton and are only two points clear of 10th-placed Bournemouth, who will welcome Manchester United on Sunday.
'We wanted to reignite the flame to fight for what we want'published at 18:08 BST 26 April
18:08 BST 26 April
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham manager Marco Silva has been speaking to BBC Sport following the win: "Firstly, we deserved the three points. From the first minute, we were the team that took the control. Our first half was not at the level we normally play at, and it makes it harder when you concede a goal from a wide free-kick where we clearly should have done much better.
"There were not many first half chances, but enough for a different half-time result. We lacked confidence and composure in the 18-yard box and missed some moments that we had to equalise the game.
"The changes at half-time were to give different things to the team. We had more 1v1s with Adama and Lukic - and we were more dynamic with Wilson in the middle.
"We know Emile is good in those spaces on the half-turn, receiving the ball, and he is a crucial player when he's at his best. Let's hope this goal gives him the confidence that is needed. And Sessegnon, we know he smells the balls inside the box and the moments to finish.
"The win is what we needed. We wanted to bounce back and reignite the flame to fight for what we want. We are playing final, after final, after final and it will be like that every week for the rest of the season.
"This three points is massive for us - and now we have to prepare well for the next final against Aston Villa."
Southampton 1-2 Fulham: Key statspublished at 17:56 BST 26 April
17:56 BST 26 April
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham have scored three 90th-minute winners in the Premier League this season, the joint-most of any side (level with Brighton).
Fulham have also had 15 goals scored by substitutes in the Premier League this season, the joint most of any side in a single season in the competition's history (also 15 for Arsenal in 2009-10, Manchester City in 2011-12 and Liverpool in 2015-16).
Ryan Sessegnon has had a hand in six goals across his past eight Premier League appearances for Fulham - 4 goals, 2 assists - which is as many as in his previous 59 games in the competition combined.
'The manager was very disappointed with us in the first half'published at 17:21 BST 26 April
17:21 BST 26 April
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham defender Ryan Sessegnon has been speaking to Premier League Productions about the performance: "I feel amazing - very, very happy. It was a difficult game. They made it hard for us, particularly in the first half, but credit to the boys because we kept digging. We had most of the ball in the second half and thankfully got the winner.
"We knew it was going to be difficult to come here. They have got the chance to play with freedom because, unfortunately for them, they are already down and so the pressure is off.
"They showed their quality with the free-kick and we just had to respond in the second half - thankfully we did.
"The manager was very disappointed with us in the first half. We weren't dynamic enough on the ball and we didn't penetrate enough. In the second half, we played with more urgency and moved the ball much quicker because we had to - and that won us the game.
"The win was very important today. We had the chance to play before Bournemouth and we got the three points, so now the pressure is back on them."
On scoring the 1000th goal of the Premier League season: "That is crazy. A very good landmark, so I'm happy with that."
Image source, Getty Images
