Unai Emery greeted a “very important victory” for Aston Villa while they stayed on track to achieve their “dream” of successive qualifications of Champions League.
Villa moved level with fifth place Chelsea after a 1-0 win over Fulham with three more games, with the first half of your Tielemans enough to win the victory in Villa Park.
Emery's side is now unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League home competitions (won 10, drawn seven), their joint longest run in the competition, also do between March and December 2023 (won 16, signed).
After reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League this season and barely lost to Paris Saint-Germain, the Spaniard wants to take care of the return of the club to Europe's Premier Club competition.
“It's a fantastic victory,” he said. “We set our goal via the Premier League because we can play in Europe again.
“Fulham is nine points behind us and this victory against this opponent was very important. We did it. We performed fantastically.
“Even when we won 1-0, we had chances, but no other scored. We could have had some problems defensively, but we defended well, we were focused on the 90 minutes and we played a good game.
“We deserved to win and perhaps to score another. I am very happy because I am in Europe the goal is, and our dream is to repeat playing in the Champions League.
“We are not favorites because other teams are in front of us, but we can keep dreaming there [qualify again for] The Champions League.
“The real goal is that we are in Europe and after today we are almost there.”
Tielemans went into the corner of John McGinn for his 10th goal -oriented involvement of the season (three goals, seven assists); His joint-mest in a single Premier League campaign (also in 2020-21 and 2021-22).
In the meantime, only Arsenal and Crystal Palace (both 16) have scored more goals from Set pieces (excluding penalties) than Villa this period (15).
Three points secured. Nine left to fight for.pic.twitter.com/ays4bwknln
– Aston Villa (@AVFCofficial) 3 May 2025
After having had a taste of Champions League football, Villa wants to return to the top table in Europe in 2025-26.
“All our games, we know we have to win them to get the chance to be in the Champions League next season,” Tielemans told TNT Sports.
“It is the largest European competition club wise. We had a taste this season and we want to do it again.
“This afternoon was a good victory. A tough opponent, Fulham is a very good team. We could have finished the game earlier, but the honor to the boys. Good fight and good victory.”
In the meantime, Fulham's hope took a potential blow to securing European football.
Nevertheless, Marco Silva greeted the mentality that was demonstrated by his players in Villa Park.
“We had to deal better [the first half] But still, not many opportunities for them, and they scored from a set piece, “he said.”[It is] Always very difficult for us to take.
“Our response in the last 10 minutes [of the first half] Was a little better. We started to be much more aggressive in the pressure moments.
“[In the] Second half, the reaction was very good of us, and we knew we had to try to press a little more, man for humans, all over the field.
“Harry Wilson has a big chance for us to be the same. Of course they had some opportunities to score, but the game was completely balanced.
“The team again showed a great spirit, great attitude towards the end of the game. Unfortunately we did not score and we lost the game.
“It's a sad moment for us. Now, next week, we have a game to play, and very important to us to get the three points.”