Rene Meulensteen enjoyed a near perfect beginning to his tenure as Fulham manager, with goals from Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov providing a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Craven Cottage.

The win puts a halt to a 6 game losing streak and lifts Fulham to 18^th, level on thirteen points with Crystal Palace and West Ham.

Berbatov got just his second goal in thirteen appearances this year when he converted the thirtieth minute spot kick but his form throughout the game, including setting up Sidwell for his opener on twenty one minutes, suggests he may prove a different proposition under the new managerial regime.