Fulham 2 Aston Villa 0 - Report

Second half goals from Ryan Sessegnon and Floyd Ayite saw the Cottagers inflict a first league defeat of 2018 on Steve Bruce’s team.

Sessegnon opened the scoring seven minutes after the break when he fired home following good work by Ryan Fredericks.

And Ayite then sealed the win when he scored from the centre circle following an error by Villa keeper Sam Johnstone.

Analysis

Johnstone misfired a free-kick straight to the unmarked Fulham winger, who showed great composure to finish from long range.

The moment summed up a rather disjointed display from Bruce’s men, who failed to overcome the loss of top scorer Albert Adomah and Jack Grealish, who both missed the game through injury.

That said, Villa’s reshaped team was solid enough in the opening half against a Fulham team who had won their previous six league games.

But they also lost Ahmed Elmohamady to injury at half-time and once Sessegnon had opened the scoring there only looked like being one winner.

Villa were backed by a travelling army of at least 4,600 supporters but they had been rendered quiet by the closing stages as their team, for the first time in almost two months, misread the script.

Cardiff’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough saw them overtake Bruce’s men and claim second in the table.

That will sting Villa but this result was perhaps a reminder that, for all their excellent form in recent weeks, automatic promotion will not be easily won.

Bruce made two changes from the team which won last Sunday’s derby against Blues and both were enforced, with Adomah and Grealish missing out through hamstring and calf issues respectively.

In their place came Birkir Bjarnason and Axel Tuanzebe, for what was the Manchester United loanee’s first Villa start.

The 20-year-old started the game at right-back, with Elmohamady at right-midfield and Robert Snodgrass switched to an unfamiliar position on the left-wing.

Perhaps unsurprisingly it was the home side who were quickest to settle, Matt Targett and Aleksander Mitrovic both sending efforts off target in the opening five minutes.

When Villa did begin to find their feet, they twice went close to taking the lead.

First, Snodgrass thumped an effort just off target after neat build-up play from Bjarnason.

The latter then went even closer, dragging a shot across goal and inches wide of the far post, having exchanged passes with Mile Jedinak and raced to the edge of the box.

That would be the closest either team got to breaking the deadlock in an opening half which rather petered out.

Alan Hutton was in the right place to block at close range from Floyd Ayite but with the dangerous Sessegnon well marshalled by Tuanzebe, the hosts were constantly left trying - and failing - to pick their way through a congested midfield.

Conor Hourihane had the last attempt of the 45 minutes, lifting a left-footed shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

Villa keeper Johnstone had not needed to make a save during the opening half but was picking the ball out of his net within seven minutes of the restart.

Fredericks, a non-factor in the final third during the opening 45 minutes, was the creator, racing onto a through ball and cutting it back for his team-mate to turn into the far corner.

It was far from the cleanest of finishes but that was of minor concern to the hosts.

With Villa looking solid but struggling to make headway, Bruce introduced Lewis Grabban midway through the half.

But any hopes of a comeback disappeared with 19 minutes remaining when Johnstone made an uncharacteristic but calamitous error.

Taking a free-kick on the right-wing, the keeper pulled his kick toward the centre circle and Ayite, who trapped the ball and looked up before sending it sailing toward the open goal.

Johnstone would redeem himself a little with a fine save to deny Mitrovic a minute later, while Ayite came close to a quickfire second when he headed over.

Hogan came close to getting Villa back in it when he fired off target after being found by Bjarnason.

But it was Fulham who were in control and Johnstone was forced to save from substitute Aboubakar Kamara, while Sessegnon also fired wide.

Teams

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Bettinelli, Fredericks, Kalas, Ream, Targett, McDonald, Johansen (Odoi 90+1), Ayite (Piazon 88), Cairney, Sessegnon, Mitrovic (Kamara 79) Subs not used: Kebano, Norwood, Christie, Button (gk).

Villa (4-5-1): Johnstone, Tuanzebe, Chester, Terry, Hutton, Snodgrass (Davis 88), Elmohamady (Onomah HT), Jedinak (Grabban 67), Hourihane, Bjarnason, Hogan Subs not used: Taylor, Whelan, Lansbury, Bunn (gk).