Suzuki's Own Goal Hands Fulham a Point at Aston Villa
Seven Lights
Zion Suzuki carried Alex Iwobi’s corner over his own goal line in the 64th minute to give Fulham a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Saturday, denying Unai Emery’s side a fifth win in six league games.
Nicolas Jackson had put Villa ahead in the 39th minute, his eighth goal of the season, after the home side took control of the first period at Villa Park. John McGinn missed a penalty before the interval and Villa appeared to be managing the game until Suzuki misjudged the flight of Iwobi’s corner, which dropped over the goalline.
The result left Fulham two points above the relegation zone in Álvaro Arbeloa’s first autumn in charge, following league wins over Hull City and Coventry. Their second-half display merited the point. Villa, who had looked set to move back into the top third of the Premier League, must now travel to Barcelona on Tuesday for a Champions League fixture with some momentum intact but questions at the back.
The match was played in the shadow of a dispute between the club’s chairman, Nassef Sawiris, and the broadcaster Jamie Carragher. Villa supporters sang in favour of Emery during the game after Sawiris promised to initiate legal action over Carragher’s remarks about the club and its fans. Carragher had suggested Emery should want the Manchester United job if Michael Carrick were dismissed after United’s long winless run, and later acknowledged that his language had been clumsy.
Emery’s team controlled long passages of the match and were punished for a single lapse. Fulham’s autumn has turned on results rather than performances, and the draw followed a second-half display that kept them clear of the bottom three for another week.
Villa will look to resume that form in the Champions League at Barcelona on Tuesday; Fulham play at home next weekend, before the November international break.