Fulham 3-0 Aston Villa

Ten-man Aston Villa suffered a 3-0 defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Harrison Reed fired the hosts into a 36^th-minute lead as he drilled home from the edge of the penalty area.

Villa’s hopes of a comeback were dealt a blow when Douglas Luiz saw red shortly after the hour following an off-the-ball clash with Aleksandar Mitrovic.

And the Cottagers doubled their lead just minutes later as Mitrovic slotted home a penalty before Tyrone Mings’ late own goal from Neeskens Kebano’s cross.

The Villans will be looking to bounce back quickly as they play host to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.

Jan Bednarek was handed his full Villa debut, with the defender’s only previous appearance in claret in blue coming as a second-half substitute in the goalless draw at Leeds United earlier this month.

Bednarek came in for fellow Poland international Matty Cash as head coach Steven Gerrard, otherwise, kept faith with the same starting XI who impressed against Chelsea last weekend before falling to a 2-0 defeat.

Emi Martínez had to be alert early on to make a smart save from Willian with his feet before Mitrovic headed over the crossbar.

Andreas Pereira saw his strike deflected on to the roof of the net after 16 minutes and flashed a stinging volley narrowly wide from the subsequent corner, with Mings then clearing Mitrovic’s header off the goal-line.

The hosts were enjoying a spell of pressure and Pereira again threatened, forcing Martínez to tip over his 25-yard free-kick.

Ollie Watkins stung the palms of Bernd Leno just after the half hour while Martínez was again called upon to make a strong one-handed save to thwart the lively Willian.

But the Cottagers took the lead as Reed, on the edge of the penalty area, controlled Martínez’s punch clear from a corner and drilled a strike into the far corner.

Ings created space and forced a stop from Leno in response before Martínez was at it again, this time denying Kebano as Villa, who then threatened with John McGinn’s long-range strike, went into the interval one goal behind after a first period which saw a total of 21 shots on goal.

Cash was introduced at the break, replacing Bednarek and reverting to right-back as Ezri Konsa moved into the heart of defence.

Gerrard turned to Emi Buendía just before the hour mark as the visitors looked for a route back into the encounter.

But their task was made even harder within minutes as Luiz saw red for an off-the-ball incident with Mitrovic.

And just six minutes later it was 2-0 as Cash was penalised for a handball from Mitrovic’s attempted shot and the Serbia international converted the resulting spot-kick.

Watkins’ far-post volley was diverted off target by the home side before Fulham added a third in the 83^rd minute as Mings diverted Kebano’s cross into the net.