Scrappy first half sees Aston Villa ahead through Youri Tielemans header | OneFootball

It was a game that Fulham had the clear intention and game plan of mucking it up against Aston Villa. Naturally, the visitors had decent possession of their own and a couple of looks that could have turned into proper goal-scoring opportunities. It was the hosts who found themselves in control of the match during moments that afforded fluid gameplay.

By and large, however, the away side's emphasis on playing a physical style superseded itself during the flow of the game. It was the Belgian Youri Tielemans who scored a goal off a header during the 12th minute of the Premier League fixture.

Captain John McCain found the Belgian all alone in the box on a perfectly placed and well-driven corner kick. There were a few moments in which Tielemans nearly found that final pass during the run of play to set up one of his teammates.

It was Fulham who proved equal to any challenge after conceding the first goal. During the closing minutes of the first half, Tielemans attempted to take matters once more into his own hands with a strike from distance. It looked like it was heading toward the upper 90 of the goal. In an effort that should have resulted in a corner, the referee did not see the final touch from the keeper and granted instead a goal kick.

By and large, it was something of a frustrating opening 45 minutes. Emiliano Martínez was tested once after the late Tielemans' shot. It was a relatively comfortable one for the Villa No. 1, and the home side went into the dressing room with a 1-0 lead.

Needed boost for Aston Villa going forward

The attack will need to find ways past the stingy Fulham defensive approach. Marco Asensio and Morgan Rogers, in particular, are two players who had something of a quiet half. The England international did show some nice footwork late on, but his misplaced pass ended up finding the keeper.

For Unai Emery, the result will do for now. Increasing the margin and putting the game out of hand will be a necessity. This is particularly true in a tight race for the remaining Champions League spots, with goal differential not favoring Villa at the moment.