A much changed Aston Villa side were dumped out of the FA Cup third round after tow sublime strikes.
Villa haven't progressed out of the FA Cup's third round for four years running, after defeats to Tottenham, Peterborough, Swansea and now Fulham.
Fulham - who occupy a place in the Championship's top six - owed the win to Anthony Knockaert and Harry Arter who both scored equally memorable strikes at the Hammersmith End.
Story of the game
With changes aplenty for both sides, the first half was, for the most part, a dead rubber with Anwar El Ghazi coming the closest to breaking the early deadlock.
The Dutch international was fed through by Johnathan Kodjia on the right-wing, but he failed to beat Marek Rodak from inside the box, tamely striking at the Slovakian goalkeeper.
Fulham boasted the lions share of possession in the first period but made few openings to force an advantage before half time.
Ten minutes into the second half, Scott Parker's summer signing Knockaert showed his Premier League expertise by curling an effort into Orjan Nyland's top corner to force home a slender advantage in a tepid affair.
It was a game that needed a goal to spark it into life, and what a finish it was, fitting of winning any cup tie. Though El Ghazi would get his fifth goal in all competitions by tapping in Kodjia's looping effort on the hour mark.
If Knockaert was to be denied the winning goal, substitute Arter wouldn't be, as he managed to replicate the Frenchman's effort, again leaving Nyland with no chance.
After Tom Heaton's season ending knee injury dealt Villa another long term injury blow Nyland will be called into action for Premier League duty.
The Norwegian stopped foiled Knockaert's attempt as he raced one on one in the closing minutes at Craven Cottage.
Takeaways
Villa lack depth
Fulham too made a host of alterations with the Championship's second half of the season underway. Though Villa's second string side failed to lay a glove on a Fulham team without Tom Cairney, Tim Ream, Aleksander Mitrovic or Bobby Reid.
Fulham's quality
Knockaert's wonderful strike, along with Josh Onomah's impressive display against his former side caught the eye. Parker will back his side that includes top-flight quality to compete with Leeds and West Brom for the automatic places.
Man of the Match
Knockaert not only opened the scoring, but set the tone for what is an impressive win for Parker's Fulham side, now buoyant in confidence ahead of the Championship run-in.
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