Steve Sidwell has tipped Fulham for a late surge for European football after a ‘fantastic’ win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday. The win leaves Fulham on the brink of a return to continental football for the first time in 14 years.
Steve Sidwell tipped Fulham to make a late surge for European football after a ‘fantastic’ win over Aston Villa on Saturday.
Fulham needed to win to stand any chance of still making the European places, with Marco Silva himself even saying as much when he called the game a ‘must-win.’
And, through a tactical switch which saw them line up in an unusual 3-4-2-1 formation, deploying Harry Wilson at right wing back and Timothy Castagne at right centre back, Fulham did what was required of them and found a way to beat Villa.
Ryan Sessegnon celebrated signing a new contract at Craven Cottage to make it a week to remember, scoring the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute, while the Cottagers were defensively resolute.
Joachim Andersen was named Player of the Match after he made more tackles, blocks and recoveries than any other player on the pitch, leading by example as he looks to guide Fulham to a first European campaign since 2012.
Sidwell, who was at Fulham during that Europa League campaign, believes this is the sort of win that can galvanise a side and tipped his former side to go on and secure a return to continental football.
He said on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday: “I’d say defensively they [Fulham] deserved it, yes.
“Didn’t create overly much, which has been the story of their season.
“But, on the whole, Aston Villa did not have their shooting boots on today.
“Ollie Watkins, Tammy Abraham had really good chances to get back into the game, didn’t take it.
“Unai Emery will be really disappointed with that.
“But what a victory that is for Fulham, back at home where they have collected most of their points this season.
“Maybe a late surge for European football for Fulham, but overall a fantastic three points for them.”
Fulham end the season with four massive games that will be treated with the cliched feeling of ‘every game is a final.’
They begin their end-of-season run with a trip to the Emirates to face top-of-the-league Arsenal, before returning home to face Bournemouth, in what is a pivotal fixture that could well decide the fate of the European placings.
Then very winnable matches against Wolves, who sit bottom of the league, and Newcastle, who have lost four in a row, follow.
Fulham sit in 10th currently, level with eighth-placed Chelsea, occupying the Conference League spot, and just a point behind Bournemouth in seventh and in the Europa League spot.