Sessegnon's winner helps Fulham's European push as Villa stutter 

RYAN AIR: Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match at Craven Cottage, London. Pic: Ben Whitley/PA Wire

Premier League: Fulham 1 Aston Villa 0

Fulham boosted their hopes of European qualification as Ryan Sessegnon's first-half goal earned them a 1-0 win over a lacklustre Aston Villa at Craven Cottage.

It was only a second win in six Premier League games for Marco Silva's side, whose inconsistency may yet put a top-seven finish beyond their reach, but in glorious conditions and backed by a vociferous crowd, they showed the heights they are capable of reaching.

They struck late in the first half. Emiliano Martinez's quick reflexes kept out Sasa Lukic's header, but Villa were slow to clock the threat of the lurking Sessegnon who fired between the legs of Ezri Konsa on the goal line.

Villa were complicit in their own downfall, and were poor throughout. Not since their eight-game winning run ended in late December have they won back-to-back matches in the league and that sequence continued in west London, though they still have a healthy advantage in the race for a Champions League place.

They threatened Bernd Leno's goal only twice in the first half, through Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, and barely at all after that.

Perhaps there was one eye being kept on Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg against Nottingham Forest, and a raft of late changes by Unai Emery suggested so. They will need to be much, much better to keep their European dream alive.

It was a poor first half. Raul Jimenez headed straight at Martinez when unmarked 10 yards out then Emiliano Buendia rounded off a fast Villa break by firing wide.

Lukic burst on to a loose ball on the edge of the box and ought to have done far better than scuffing a meek effort into the goalkeeper's arms.

A wild attempt from Rogers that sailed away into the sun-drenched Fulham supporters behind Leno's goal summed up an opening half hour of minimal goalmouth threat.

The England playmaker, watched by Thomas Tuchel, quickly found his shooting boots and came as close as anyone to that point, dancing through Fulham's defence and slamming a low effort just wide.

Watkins, also out to impress Tuchel with only four more league games before the World Cup, then bullishly held off Joachim Andersen and whistled one past the post.

Fulham went ahead two minutes before half-time. Timothy Castagne crossed from the right, Lukic's header was pushed out by Martinez but reacting quickest to the loose ball was Sessegnon to lash it into the unguarded net.

Villa needed waking up but it took until the hour mark for their next opening, Watkins blasting hopelessly high and wide from a promising position.

Castagne headed the ball in their net for a second time from Lukic's corner but Sander Berge was penalised for impeding Martinez.

Emery gambled with four changes for the final 15 minutes, though with Youri Tielemans and John McGinn among those withdrawn there was a suspicion attentions had turned already to Thursday at the City Ground. Watkins too was taken off soon after.

Whatever the reasoning, it did little to put the fire beneath Villa who limped to the end without further troubling Leno.