A late Aston Villa flurry, including three second half goals, was enough to turn the tide of the game in the hosts’ favour at Villa Park.
Aleksandar Mitrović put his side ahead on the hour mark before a Trezeguet double and Ollie Watkins completed a Villains comeback.
Scott Parker couldn’t ignore the international form of Mitrović and rewarded the Serb with a start. The other three changes included the addition of Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kenny Tete.
Villa stamped their authority on the game in the opening stages with Matty Cash’s cross surprising Anwar El Ghazi. If the wide man had controlled, it looked to surely be the opener.
Mitrović had the swagger of a man that had enjoyed a fine scoring spell away. He tested Emiliano Martinez early down to his right. De Cordova-Reid was operating off the Serbian from a wide area and his instinctive header flew wide from Tete’s cross in a sharp Fulham start.
Mitrović again threatened. A left footed curler that had the Argentinian stopper at full stretch to divert it wide.
The Fulham barrage subsided, and it was Villa’s turn to up the pressure. The home side stifled the Fulham centre halves playing out and created near openings on the turnover.
Ademola Lookman’s teasing free kick almost put the opener on a plate for Joachim Andersen. The Dane couldn’t get over the sliding contact with the ball ballooning over.
Mario Lemina faced a late scare in the first half as the referee pointed to the spot for a trip on Ollie Watkins. VAR intervened and overruled the decision with the midfielder getting a toe to the ball.
The second half started with an injury blow. Lookman went down holding his knee which forced the winger off for Ivan Cavaleiro.
The Fulham opener came on the hour thanks to a misjudged back-pass from Tyrone Mings. Mitrović pounced onto it, rounded the keeper, and tapped into an open goal.
Fulham had the game under control but the it was turned on its head in three minutes. Trezeguet with the two goals. He swept home the first after a low cross then tapped in at the back post after Traore’s cross.
Ollie Watkins compiled the misery as he had the simple task of killing the game with a simple low finish.
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Sanson (Davis 69'), Luiz (Ramsey); El Ghazi (Trezeguet 62'), McGinn, Traore; Watkins.
Fulham: Areola; Tete, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Aina; De Cordova-Reid, Reed, Lemina (Onomah 83'), Lookman (Cavaleiro 48’); Loftus-Cheek (Maja 83'), Mitrović.
