Calvin Bassey felt Fulham left Villa Park with less than they deserved. The Super Eagles defender captained the Cottagers in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday, and he was clear afterwards about what went wrong.
The home side got the opening goal. Nicolas Jackson put Villa ahead in the 39th minute after a pass from Johan Manzambi.
Before the break, Bassey picked up a booking too. He was cautioned in first-half stoppage time for a late lunge on Alysson as Villa broke forward.
Fulham did not panic. Instead, they found a way back in the 64th minute, and Alex Iwobi’s in-swinging corner played a part in it. Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki mishandled the ball and turned it into his own net.
After that, the visitors had the better of the chances. Gonzalo Garcia was stopped by Suzuki’s fingertips, and Shea Charles had a curling shot go just wide. Meanwhile, Villa had their moments too, and John McGinn hit the bar.
Iwobi also started and had a few openings of his own. Tom Cairney replaced him after 75 minutes.
Speaking afterwards, Bassey was proud of the effort but frustrated with the finishing. “We should have got more. We missed two chances inside the six-yard box,” he said.
Even so, he stayed positive about the bigger picture. He said the team has been improving every week since the start of the season, and that the players have bought into what the manager wants.
As a result of the draw, Fulham stay unbeaten in the league for a third game. Before this, they beat Hull City and Coventry City, both 1-0. Over those three games, they have taken seven points and conceded only once.
Bassey wearing the armband is a good sign. He is a regular in a Premier League side that is starting to find its feet, and he was solid enough on a tough away day.
Iwobi, on the other hand, will want to turn his early chances into goals. Both players should also be in the mix when the Super Eagles squad is picked next.
Fulham host Newcastle on 7 November. With the Cottagers now in good form, the focus will be on putting away the chances that cost them three points at Villa Park.
