Hard-working Fulham overcome Aston Villa - Sessegnon's strike rewarding their extra little grit

Wisteria rather than hysteria on a fine afternoon by the Thames : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Fulham (1) 1 Sessegnon 43

Aston Villa (0) 0

Ryan Sessegnon's first goal since November 1 - his third on the season - was just enough to get the better of Europa League semi-finalists Aston Villa in a mostly lukewarm encounter.

Victory is unlikely to carry much lasting significance. Fulham were delighted to claim their 10th home win of the season after a largely artisenal effort in the Thames sunshine. Their endeavour just tipped the scales.

Europe still looks a long shot but they look keen to try and push to the finishing line and can do serious damage to Arsenal next week at the Emirates. For Villa, Champions League football still beckons despite this reverse.

It could be that Harry Wilson is involved in that for the Midlands side - having been linked to a summer move to Villa Park - but here he was very much a Whites player, giving his all, in spite of the cheeky chants from away fans that: "He wants to play for a big club!"

In a game where so little was going on for long parts of it, it came almost as a relief to see Morgan Rogers work his way into shooting range after being found by John McGinn and rifling a low shot that whizzed inches off target.

A few moments later and Ollie Watkins - perhaps inspired by his team-mate's near miss - made room to drill a shot which flew past the opposite post.

The Whites played pleasantly within themselves without creating a great deal. Their best chance early on came when Villa got careless at the back in possession and gifted a chance for Sasa Lukic - who strode on before testing Emi Martinez from just outside the box.

But it was the Whites who made the breakthrough - a nicely judged cross found Lukic unmarked for a header that Matinez could only parry away for an onrushing Sessegnon to crash back into the net through the legs of Ezri Konsa.

Kicking towards their own fans at the Putney End, Unai Emery's men raised their game a little after the break and Watkins flashed a shot over after again being picked out superbly by his pal McGinn.

Fulham thought they had made it 2-0 when Catagne headed in an inswinging corner from Lukic midway through the second half but ref Michael Oliver decided Martinez had been baulked by Sander Berge on the goalline.

But the disappointment did not matter in the end.

Tammy Abraham came on for Watkins and the former Chelsea striker managed to eke out an early chance for himself that he spooned over the crossbar. It was the last moment of danger for the winning Whites.

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Leno - Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon (Robinson 81) - Lukic, Berge - Wilson, Smith Rowe (King 76), Chukwueze (Bobb 76) - Jimenez (Muniz 67)

Villans: (4-2-3-1) Martinez - Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne - Bogarde (Douglas Luiz 74), Tielemans (Sancho 74) - McGinn ((Barkley 74), Rogers, Buendia (Bailey 74) - Watkins (Abraham 81)

Attendance: 27,606