Arter ends two-year wait for goal with stunning strike to sink Villa
Arter unleashed a wonder strike to score his first goal in two years – within two minutes of coming off the bench – as Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham knocked out struggling Premier League club Aston Villa.
Arter has been on loan at Fulham, managed by his brother-in-law Scott Parker, from Bournemouth and his first goal for the club – a dipping, left- footed beauty from 30 yards – clinched victory for the London club.
A talented player whose career has waned, Arter used the stage of thirdround day to script his own renaissance story. He ran jubilantly towards the physio, pointing at him after three months of work on a leg injury, while Parker nodded and applauded.
Anthony Knockaert had earlier also scored a stunning goal from a similar distance to put Parker’s men 1-0 up early in the second half.
Dean Smith, the Villa manager, was punished for fielding a heavily changed line-up, with their goal coming after a blunder by Michael Hector on his Fulham debut, which ruined an otherwise impressive display by the defender.
Smith spoke afterwards about his belief that the FA Cup had lost its “sparkle” even though those present were dazzled by Fulham’s finishing.
Parker said: “Both goals were special. The result was pleasing but the performance was outstanding. Wins against a team like Aston Villa, a Premier League club, brings belief.”
The Fulham manager had refreshed his team with five changes – including Aleksandar Mitrovic not being in the squad – but Smith went even further with nine.
The Villa manager described his team’s display as “average” but acknowledged that his men had been undone by two “wonder goals”, claiming that “Harry Arter has scored a goal that he will never score again”.
Smith added: “Everybody can see from the selection that this wasn’t top of our priorities. The amount of games we’ve played since December 17 has been incredible.”
That busy schedule started with a game in the EFL Cup – in which they are in the semi-finals, facing Leicester City – but this competition was one challenge too far for them.
On the FA Cup, he said: “It’s lost its sparkle, I must admit. It doesn’t help when there are kick-offs at 5.30. There was a cup final the same day as a Premier League programme.”
Discussing the prospect of goalkeeper Joe Hart arriving at Villa Park, he said: “There are an awful lot of candidates. We want to try to recruit as quickly as possible.”
These clubs last met at Wembley in the 2018 Championship play-off final, when Fulham went up – and, although their roles have been reversed, some of the home side’s men looked keen to show they still have top-flight class.
Craven Cottage has long been an unhappy hunting ground for Villa, who have now lost on five successive visits.
Fulham had passed the ball around patiently and neatly at times in the opening 20 minutes, but neither side threatened at that stage.
Smith’s men then started missing chances as Jonathan Kodjia shot over, Ahmed Elmohamady glanced a header off target, before Jota struck wide. The lively Anwar El Ghazi missed the best opportunity before the break, when his strike was kept out by goalkeeper Marek Rodak when one on one.
Villa were to pay for their misses in the second half, when Fulham added more threat in the final third.
Knockaert put the home side ahead by evading Neil Taylor and Marvelous Nakamba – the two survivors in the starting line-up from Villa’s previous game – then curling a stunning, 30yard shot into the top corner.
Villa pulled level when Jota lofted the ball forward, from close to the halfway line, and Hector could not clear on the edge of his 18-yard box. That allowed Kodjia to lob Rodak, with El Ghazi adding the finishing touch to make sure.
Arter then arrived to stun them again though, ending a sweeping passing move by striking into the top corner from Stefan Johansen’s pass.
Knockaert twice missed chances to finish off Villa, but the Midlands club still exited limply.