The defeat comes as a blow to Aston Villa's push for a top-five finish, which would secure a Champions League spot. Unai Emery, the Villa manager, said: "We missed a really good chance today, the players did everything we planned but we needed to be more clinical." The result leaves Villa eight points clear of Brighton, who have a game in hand.
Fulham's victory puts them in contention for Europa League and Conference League places, adding to the competitive nature of the Premier League's European qualification race. Victor Nilsson Lindelöf and Jonah Kusi-Asare were on the bench for Fulham but did not play.
We missed a really good chance today, the players did everything we planned but we needed to be more clinical.
Aston Villa now turn their attention to the Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest, with the first leg on Thursday. The match raises questions about squad rotation and whether Villa can balance their domestic and European ambitions.