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Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins scored the equaliser against Fulham<\/p>\nJohn McGinn lauded Ollie Watkins after Aston Villa’s first win of the league season against Fulham<\/p>\n
16:35, 28 Sep 2025Updated 17:24, 28 Sep 2025<\/p>\n
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins scored the equaliser against Fulham<\/p>\n
John McGinn hopes Ollie Watkins scoring his first goal of the season in Aston Villa\u2019s 3-1 win over Fulham<\/a> “shuts a few people up.”<\/p>\n The striker had gone goalless in his first five<\/a> Premier League games but managed to equalise for Villa against Fulham just before half-time with an excellent finish.<\/p>\n Chasing Lucas Digne\u2019s ball over the top, Watkins then lobbed Bernd Leno with expert precision.<\/p>\n “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,\u201d McGinn told BBC<\/a> Match of the Day. \u201cWhat he has given us in recent seasons is nothing short of brilliant.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Villa, who had fallen behind in the third minute to Raul Jimenez, completed the comeback four minutes into the second half as McGinn scored in consecutive matches, firing in from the edge of the area.<\/p>\n Emi Buendia, who came on at half-time, then extended Villa\u2019s lead by converting Watkins\u2019 cross from the left.<\/p>\n “Delighted but relieved at the same time,\u201d McGinn admitted. \u201cIt has been a very poor start to the season. To lose here 3-0 in the last home game was tough to take. We actually started well and then we reacted really well to conceding at the corner.<\/p>\n “It is not an easy place to play when the crowd are on your back but then when you get momentum, what a place it is to play. It was important to show belief and confidence in each other. What a win and what a huge show of character for us.<\/p>\n “It can change quickly [form] but we are not getting carried away. We have turned a little corner the last few games but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s about recovering now and then back here next Sunday to try and pick up another win in the league.”<\/p>\n What do you make of McGinn’s comments? Tell us here<\/a><\/strong> Join our Aston Villa WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click on this link<\/a> and select \u2018Join Community\u2019 to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. It’s a free service. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from our Villa writers.<\/p>\n We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Villa news. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click ‘Exit Group’. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. Click here to read our Privacy Notice<\/a><\/p>\n Every day, the BirminghamLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Aston Villa content.<\/p>\n Our dedicated reporter John Townley – who you can follow on X by clicking here<\/a> – follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.<\/p>\n So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur – that’s why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you’ll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Villa newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive’s Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here<\/a> to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.<\/p>\n If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here<\/a> and for Android here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here<\/a>, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here<\/a> and via Apple here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Watch Aston Villa vs Bologna on TNT Sports<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> \u00a330.99<\/p>\n TNT Sports<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_Whatsapp-storysocial.jpg\")
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