Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins made it 18 goals in all competitions this season as his brace secured a 2-1 victory at Fulham.

The striker found the net with fine finishes in either half to ensure 2023/24 is his most prolific season to date in a Villa shirt.

Rodrigo Muniz reduced the arrears for the Cottagers with a near-post finish, but it was Villa who emerged triumphant with all three points in west London – extending their unbeaten away record this year to five matches.

Watkins and Álex Moreno also saw efforts ruled out for offside by VAR, as did Tim Ream at the other end, while Leon Bailey struck the crossbar from distance.

In what was head coach Unai Emery’s 50^th Premier League match in charge of the club, it was only a second victory at Craven Cottage in 10 attempts stretching back to 2010, with Villa having lost six of their previous seven visits.

Fit-again centre-back Pau Torres and midfielder Youri Tielemans returned to Villa’s starting XI, replacing injured duo Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara, as Emery made two changes to his starting line-up from last weekend’s defeat to Manchester United.

Watkins and Ream both found the net inside the opening quarter, only to be denied by the offside flag, as the two sides strived to gain the upper hand.

And it was Villa who did just that in the 23^rd minute with the game’s first attempt on target.

Antonee Robinson’s wayward throw-in was intercepted by Jacob Ramsey and he found Watkins, who turned to create space in the penalty area before sending a low strike into the far bottom corner beyond Bernd Leno.

Villa came close to a second five minutes later as a surging Ramsey fed the ball to Bailey and he produced a piece of skill to get the better of Robinson before curling an effort against the top of the crossbar.

And the visitors were again thwarted by VAR shortly before the break as Moreno’s far-post header from Douglas Luiz’s corner was ruled out for offside.

Muniz sent a header narrowly wide before Tielemans was denied by Leno having been sent clear by Watkins in injury time.

Fulham started the second half on the front foot but it was the visitors who doubled their advantage 11 minutes after the restart.

Tielemans fed Watkins in a central position and, with just Leno to beat, the England international took a touch before sweeping a fine effort beyond the Fulham ‘keeper.

Yet the hosts were back in it nine minutes later as Robinson sent over a low cross and Muniz nicked ahead of Clément Lenglet and Emi Martínez to convert at the near post.

Watkins, having seen penalty appeals waved away, drilled a shot narrowly wide, while Martínez saved from substitute Alex Iwobi at the other end.

The No.1 then made a crucial save from Adama Traore in injury time as Villa saw out the encounter to clinch a league double over Fulham and a fifth triumph in their last six meetings.