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Aston Villa cruised to a comfortable Premier League win as they took advantage of another horrific defensive performance by Fulham.
Villa are now unbeaten in eight games, including six wins, stretching back to last season.
Jack Grealish put them ahead with a shot on the bounce after John McGinn’s clipped ball over the top caught Fulham out.
Conor Hourihane doubled their lead when McGinn laid the ball into his path.
And Tyrone Mings wrapped the game up early in the second half when he snuck in behind a high Cottagers line to stab home Hourihane’s free-kick – Villa’s third shot on target of the game.
That means Fulham have conceded 10 goals in their opening three games, which would have been a joint record in Premier League history – if West Brom had not conceded 11 this season.
Fulham had a Bobby Decordova-Reid goal disallowed after a video assistant referee review for a foul, but that was one of their few clear chances at goal.
Villa keep their momentum going
Villa stayed up last season thanks to eight points in their final four games. Dean Smith’s side have carried that good form into this season with four wins from four games, including two in the Carabao Cup.
They will face much tougher tests than this one though.
Villa were clinical and scored with three of their five shots on target, all the result of good play.
BBC Radio 5 Live’s Matt Upson called the link-up play between McGinn and Grealish for the opener “almost like telepathy”.
The second came from a nice passing move as Grealish found McGinn, who passed to Hourihane, with the midfielder slotting into the bottom corner.
That was the earliest Villa have gone 2-0 up in a Premier League game since May 2011 – and the first time McGinn has set up two goals in a game for Villa.
Dean Smith’s side did not create too many clear opportunities, but still managed a third goal.
Mings had the freedom of the penalty area to tuck home a left-wing Hourihane free-kick.
They never looked back and move onto six points from two games.
The unusual 17:45 BST kick-off time was so it did not overlap with the late game between Arsenal and Liverpool, which was changed so it was finished before pubs have to shut in England at 22:00 BST.
More to follow.
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Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
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Fulham
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Squad number1Player nameAreola
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Squad number4Player nameOdoi
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Squad number3Player nameHector
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Squad number13Player nameReam
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Squad number2Player nameTete
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Squad number29Player nameZambo Anguissa
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Squad number10Player nameCairney
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Squad number23Player nameBryan
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Squad number14Player nameDe Cordova-Reid
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Squad number9Player nameMitrovic
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Squad number17Player nameCavaleiro
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Squad number7Player nameKebano
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Squad number20Player nameLe Marchand
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Squad number47Player nameKamara
Aston Villa
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Squad number26Player nameMartínez
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Squad number2Player nameCash
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Squad number4Player nameKonsa
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Squad number5Player nameMings
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Squad number18Player nameTargett
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Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
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Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
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Squad number14Player nameHourihane
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Squad number17Player nameTrézéguet
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Squad number11Player nameWatkins
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Squad number10Player nameGrealish
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Squad number15Player nameTraoré
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Squad number19Player nameNakamba
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Squad number41Player nameRamsey
Line-ups
Fulham
- 1Areola
- 4OdoiBooked at 47mins
- 3HectorSubstituted forLe Marchandat 58′minutesBooked at 68mins
- 13Ream
- 2TeteSubstituted forKamaraat 39′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 29Zambo Anguissa
- 10CairneyBooked at 23mins
- 23BryanBooked at 45mins
- 14De Cordova-ReidBooked at 11minsSubstituted forKebanoat 78′minutes
- 9Mitrovic
- 17Cavaleiro
Substitutes
- 7Kebano
- 11Knockaert
- 12Rodák
- 20Le Marchand
- 25Onomah
- 33Robinson
- 47Kamara
Aston Villa
- 26Martínez
- 2Cash
- 4Konsa
- 5MingsBooked at 90mins
- 18TargettBooked at 11mins
- 7McGinnBooked at 59mins
- 6Douglas LuizSubstituted forNakambaat 87′minutes
- 14HourihaneSubstituted forRamseyat 77′minutes
- 17TrézéguetSubstituted forTraoréat 84′minutes
- 11Watkins
- 10Grealish
Substitutes
- 12Steer
- 15Traoré
- 19Nakamba
- 27El Mohamady
- 30Hause
- 39Davis
- 41Ramsey
Live Text
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Match ends, Fulham 0, Aston Villa 3.
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Second Half ends, Fulham 0, Aston Villa 3.
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Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
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Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Matthew Cash.
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Attempt missed. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.
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Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
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Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) is shown the yellow card.
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Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa).
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Attempt saved. Joe Bryan (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top right corner.
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Attempt blocked. Ivan Cavaleiro (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Cairney.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Matthew Cash.
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Offside, Aston Villa. John McGinn tries a through ball, but Tyrone Mings is caught offside.
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Marvelous Nakamba replaces Douglas Luiz.
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Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Alphonse Areola.
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Attempt saved. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by John McGinn with a cross.
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Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
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Matt Targett (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Attempt blocked. Neeskens Kebano (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ivan Cavaleiro.
