Substitute Harry Arter scored moments after coming on to send Fulham into the fourth round of the FA Cup with victory over Premier League side Aston Villa.

Anthony Knockaert had put the Championship club ahead with a stunning strike before Anwar El Ghazi equalised less than 10 minutes later.

But Arter restored the hosts’ lead with a blistering effort of his own from 30 yards - his first Fulham goal.

The Cottagers are into the fourth round for the first time in three seasons.

But Villa - who are 17th in the Premier League - have now gone four years without winning an FA Cup match.

They have been eliminated by sides from lower leagues in their past two ties in the competition.

In what was the first FA Cup meeting between the sides since 1999 - and their first encounter since the 2018 Championship play-off final - Knockaert opened the scoring after the break with a left-footed effort from outside the area.

But El Ghazi, who had gone close to opening the scoring for Dean Smith’s Villa on the stroke of half-time only to be denied by Marek Rodak, cancelled out the Frenchman’s goal by tapping in Jonathan Kodjia’s goal-bound effort.

Fulham boss Scott Parker brought Arter on for Kevin McDonald and his switch was rewarded just one minute and 45 seconds later when the 30-year-old - on loan from Bournemouth - thumped the ball into the top corner for his first goal since November 2017.

Knockaert saw a chance to extend Fulham’s lead go begging in the dying stages of the match, Jay Stansfield’s cross passing just millimetres from his toe in front of goal.

The goals came following a cagey first half in which neither side had truly threatened with the exception of El Ghazi’s last-ditch attempt.

Villa had seen both Marvelous Nakamba and Neil Taylor go into the book early on for ill-timed challenges, while Kodjia had scuppered the visitors’ first chance to take the lead, firing over the bar after good play by El Ghazi to bring the ball into the box.

Ahmed El Mohamady and Jota also went close to opening the scoring for Villa, while Knockaert and Joe Bryan both had efforts on goal for Fulham.

After the break, Knockaert saw a blistering strike brush past the post before finally opening the scoring, while Bryan and Cyrus Christie also peppered Orjan Nyland’s goal with shots as Fulham - now dominating the match - looked to hit the final nail in Villa’s coffin.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, speaking to BBC Sport:

“We had a much-changed team, we had to with the amount of games we’ve had.

“There wasn’t an awful lot in the game - they scored two wonder goals and beat us.

“While the FA Cup means an awful lot to us, it’s not top of our priority list given the injuries we’ve got and the games coming up.

“It was an opportunity for players to show me they want to be in the first team. Some did OK and some didn’t deliver.”