Championship
FulhamFulham2Aston VillaAston Villa0

Fulham 2-0 Aston Villa

Ryan Sessegnon points to the Fulham badge as he celebrates his goal against Aston Villa
Ryan Sessegnon is Fulham's top goalscorer this season, netting his 12th of the season against Villa

Fulham made it 10 league games unbeaten and boosted their Championship promotion hopes by ending Aston Villa's seven-match winning run in the league.

After a tight first half it took just seven minutes after the break for Ryan Sessegnon to sweep the hosts in front.

Floyd Ayite made it 2-0, controlling keeper Sam Johnstone's poor free-kick from out wide and firing into an empty net from inside the centre circle.

Villa slipped a place to third with the loss, while Fulham stayed fifth.

Victory extended Fulham's home run to seven consecutive wins, while they have also scored 14 goals in their past four matches at Craven Cottage.

Both teams came into the game in form and full of goals but, the absence of Jack Grealish and leading scorer Albert Adomah, Villa's attacking options seemed blunted and Fulham capitalised.

The first half was a low-key affair, Conor Hourihane and Scott Hogan firing over the bar for the visitors, while Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, on loan from Newcastle United, was a lively presence without threatening the goal.

However, once Fulham had broken the deadlock, they were the side in control.

Steve Bruce's Villa dropped Championship points for the first time in 2018 and therefore were overhauled by Cardiff, who beat Middlesbrough to go second.

Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic:

"We played with confidence, but we cannot think the job is done. We must show solidarity and work together.

"All the squad will be needed, not just the players who started today, but those on the bench and in the stand.

"In the second half we tried something a little bit different, we scored two goals and we could have scored some more. We must be satisfied with our performance, we played very good football, (but) it is only three points."

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC WM:

"I didn't think there was anything in it. It was a tense game with two very good teams for the first 60 minutes.

"It was always going to be the first goal (that was likely to decide the game) and we're disappointed because we know they're very good down the flanks in particular, they're quick in wide areas and we've been done down the wide area..

"We've made a mistake for the first and a mistake for the second. We've made more mistakes today than we've probably done in six weeks, but that's football."

Line-ups

Fulham

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Bettinelli
  • 2Fredericks
  • 26Kalas
  • 13Ream
  • 21Targett
  • 10Cairney
  • 6McDonald
  • 8JohansenBooked at 67minsSubstituted forOdoiat 90+1'minutes
  • 11AyitéSubstituted forPiazonat 88'minutes
  • 32MitrovicSubstituted forKamaraat 79'minutes
  • 3R Sessegnon

Substitutes

  • 4Odoi
  • 7Kebano
  • 16Norwood
  • 20Piazon
  • 22Christie
  • 27Button
  • 47Kamara

Aston Villa

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 1Johnstone
  • 28Tuanzebe
  • 5Chester
  • 26Terry
  • 21Hutton
  • 15JedinakBooked at 59minsSubstituted forGrabbanat 67'minutes
  • 27El MohamadySubstituted forOnomahat 45'minutes
  • 14Hourihane
  • 20Bjarnason
  • 7SnodgrassSubstituted forDavisat 88'minutes
  • 9Hogan

Substitutes

  • 3Taylor
  • 6Whelan
  • 8Lansbury
  • 18Onomah
  • 31Bunn
  • 39Davis
  • 45Grabban
Referee:
Tony Harrington
Attendance:
24,547

Match Stats

Home TeamFulhamAway TeamAston Villa
Possession
Home63%
Away37%
Shots
Home14
Away7
Shots on Target
Home7
Away2
Corners
Home1
Away0
Fouls
Home7
Away11

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Fulham 2, Aston Villa 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Fulham 2, Aston Villa 0.

  3. Substitution

    Substitution, Fulham. Denis Odoi replaces Stefan Johansen.

  4. Post update

    Attempt saved. Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Cairney.

  5. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Ryan Fredericks.

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, Aston Villa. Keinan Davis replaces Robert Snodgrass.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Fulham. Lucas Piazon replaces Floyd Ayité.

  8. Post update

    Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Robert Snodgrass (Aston Villa).

  10. Post update

    Offside, Fulham. Tim Ream tries a through ball, but Stefan Johansen is caught offside.

  11. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  12. Post update

    Delay in match Kevin McDonald (Fulham) because of an injury.

  13. Post update

    Attempt saved. Kevin McDonald (Fulham) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Floyd Ayité with a through ball.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham).

  15. Post update

    Robert Snodgrass (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  16. Post update

    Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa).

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Fulham. Aboubakar Kamara replaces Aleksandar Mitrovic.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Scott Hogan (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Birkir Bjarnason with a through ball.

  20. Post update

    Attempt missed. Floyd Ayité (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ryan Sessegnon with a cross.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Wolves32226457243372
2Cardiff32187748272161
3Aston Villa32178748291959
4Derby321610648262258
5Fulham321510754361855
6Bristol City31141074536952
7Preston32121463931850
8Sheff Utd31154124437749
9Middlesbrough321461240301048
10Brentford32121194540547
11Leeds31135134239344
12Ipswich31135134341244
13Norwich31128113134-344
14Millwall321012103734342
15QPR32109133544-939
16Sheff Wed32813113438-437
17Nottm Forest32113183550-1536
18Reading3188153441-732
19Birmingham3286182244-2230
20Bolton3279162851-2330
21Hull31611144247-529
22Barnsley31610153045-1528
23Sunderland32511163457-2326
24Burton3268182458-3426
View full Championship table

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