Jackson Gives Villa the Lead, but Fulham Level After a Goalkeeping Error
Aston Villa and Fulham drew 1-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, and Villa will wonder how they let two points slip. Nicolas Jackson put the home side ahead in the 39th minute, his eighth goal of the season. Fulham then equalised in the second half with an own goal.
The goal came from a corner. Alex Iwobi swung the ball in, and Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki dropped it over his own goal line. It was a costly mistake from a player who had come back into the side for this match.
Villa had chances to win it. John McGinn stepped up for a penalty and hit the crossbar, the first penalty he had missed for the club outside of shootouts. The spot kick was awarded after Sander Berge was judged to have handled Leon Goretzka's header. A penalty is a free shot from 12 yards, given when a defender commits a foul inside their own box. A handball is when a player touches the ball with a hand or arm, and referees can give a penalty for it.
For Villa, the result meant they did not get a fifth win in six games. Their manager, Unai Emery, has had his side playing well this autumn. They had beaten Premier League leaders Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park earlier this month, and they beat Fenerbahçe 6-0 in the Champions League in October. Jackson scored twice in eight minutes in that win, and he has now scored four goals in his last three games.
For Fulham, the draw was a useful point. They have taken seven points from their last nine league games, after wins over Hull and Coventry. The result kept them two points above the relegation zone, the group of bottom three sides who go down to the second tier at the end of the season. Their manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, will be glad to leave Villa Park with something.
Villa now have a busy week. They play at Barcelona on Tuesday, then travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United the following Sunday.
Off the pitch, the match came with a row attached. Former Liverpool defender and television pundit Jamie Carragher had said that Emery should want to manage Manchester United. He then told Villa fans to be quiet in crude terms after they reacted to the idea. Carragher has since said his words were "clumsy and wrong". Villa chair Nassef Sawiris has issued a statement saying the club will take legal action against him over insults aimed at Villa supporters.
Villa are also still adjusting to a summer of change. Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Emi Martínez all left the club after it won the Europa League, the second-tier European competition, last season. Those departures are part of why this squad looks different, and why Emery's team has to find new ways to score and keep clean sheets.
The final whistle left both sides with plenty to think about. Villa dominated the early part of the game and had the lead, only to see it slip away after a single error. Fulham showed they can hold their own, and Jackson's goal reminded everyone that Villa have options up front.
