Aston Villa have been knocked out the FA Cup third round for a fourth successive season after losing 2-1 to Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Two strikes of the highest of quality won the Cottagers an FA Cup fourth round ticket, as Harry Arter got his first goal since 2017 to add to Anthony Knockaert's equally as impressive opener.
Johnathan Kodjia's effort was tapped in by Anwar El Ghazi to level the tie on the hour mark, but Fulham eventually ran out victors on the 70th meeting between these two sides.
Villa head coach Dean Smith spoke to BirminghamLive after the loss.
Two even teams
"I thought it was an average performance, I thought we appeared to be two pretty even teams on the day.
“We’ve had the best chance in the first half where El Ghazi should score. I don’t think our goalkeeper has made a save in the first half at all.
“We’ve huffed and puffed a little bit in the first half and there didn’t seem to be a great deal of quality from either team and I thought we started the second half quite well."
Summing the game up
After making a host of alterations, Villa struggled to create more than one goalscoring opportunity in the first half. Smith was however more disappointed about conceding the games first goal in the second half.
“We went on a good run, El Ghazi should probably slide it through to Jota for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but gets tackled they go up the other end and Knockaert sticks it in the top corner.
“He travels a long way, too long for me.
"For five minutes they put us under pressure and then we got a good equaliser, some good build-up play, a good ball over the top and I’m not sure if El Ghazi nicks it off Kodj or not.
“Harry Arter scores a goal he’ll never score again and that pretty much summed the game up."
Lost its sparkle
Smith was also eager to illustrate his FA Cup frustrations.
“I think it has lost its sparkle, I must admit.
“For whatever reason it has lost its sparkle. It was not on the top of our priorities with what has happened over the last week and with the amount of games we have got.
“Listen, I wanted to win and put a team out I thought was strong enough to win. Unfortunately two wonder goals have not allowed us to get through."
Villa will turn their attentions to another cup competition as they play their first leg of a Carabao Cup semi final against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday night.
