Joe Hart wowed by what Gary Lineker pointed out about Aston Villa star v Fulham
Aston Villa significantly boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification for next season with a 1-0 victory against Fulham on Saturday.
Youri Tielemans scored what proved to be the only goal of the game in the 12th minute with a strong header into the net.
Although Villa sit seventh in the table, Unai Emery’s men are level on points with Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, while Newcastle are two points ahead in fourth place, meaning there’s still everything to play for.
Gary Lineker makes Tielemans admission v Fulham
Tielemans has really stepped up for Emery this season and shown the importance he can have in the side.
Having played both Premier League and Champions League football, the 27-year-old is perhaps having the strongest campaign of his career so far.
His contributions haven’t gone unnoticed, with the Belgian rightfully receiving plenty of praise for his performances throughout the term.
The victory against Fulham saw the midfielder pick up another man-of-the-match award.
| Compeition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League | 35 | 3 | 7 |
| Champions League | 12 | 2 | 3 |
However, speaking live on Match of the Day (3 May, 29:15), Gary Lineker was keen to point out something different about Tielemans.
Lineker said: “I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned it, but he scored the winning goal in the cup final for Leicester.”
Joe Hart responded by saying, “Yeah, also.”
Accompanied by a graphic showing Tielemans has the most starts in all competitions this term, Lineker went on to say: “But look, he’s been so regular. Look at that across Europe this season.”
Hart praised the Villa man as he replied: “Incredible numbers, he’s so important to Emery and those numbers echo it. All the way through Europe, he’s creating, having those performances at the backend, the business end. Still looking strong.”
Emery looking towards his side in the final push
Emery has done an excellent job with Aston Villa this season and received plenty of praise for the transformation of some players, too.
However, the season is not over yet and the West Midlands outfit must be prepared to keep their standards high right until the end of the campaign.
Although being knocked out of the Champions League and FA Cup was a disappointment for the Claret and Blues, there are no distractions in the way now, with one key focus in the final weeks of the Premier League campaign.
Performances of the standard he has been showing of late, and showed again against Fulham, from the likes of Tielemans, will only build the momentum going forward, which can be crucial at this point.
Having been such a crucial player this season, the Belgian no doubt has plenty more to offer in the hope of giving his side the final boost they need.