Aston Villa will look to continue their impressive run of form when they take on Fulham at home in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
Aston Villa come into the game vs Fulham on the back of five wins and a draw from the last six league matches, and they find themselves sixth in the league table. A win over the Cottagers will send them into the top five. They will be determined to secure European qualification for the next season.
Unai Emery has done a splendid job at the West Midlands club so far, and Aston Villa have certainly exceeded expectations under his management. They will be looking to finish the season strongly.
Aston Villa have scored in all 19 league games under Unai Emery; the longest run of goalscoring to begin a head coach's reign in the history of the @PremierLeague. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/iXfSMDjbth
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 22, 2023
On the other hand, Fulham have had a sharp decline after an impressive start to the season. At one point, it seemed like the London club would secure European qualification for the next season. But they have dropped valuable points in the last few months, and they are currently ninth in the league table.
However, Marco Silva’s men have managed to bounce back strongly with two back-to-back wins over Everton and Leeds in the last two league matches. They will be hoping to pull off an upset at Villa Park and get the season back on track.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Unai Emery will be without the services of Philippe Coutinho, Leon Bailey, Jed Steer, Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara because of an injury. Emiliano Martinez had to come off against Brentford with illness. But the Argentine international should be fit to start here.
A fitness update ahead of #AVLFUL. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/SoeiKmuSYv
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 24, 2023
The World Cup winner is set to start in goal. Ashley Young and Alex Moreno will be deployed as the full-backs, and the two players will look to create opportunities for their teammates going forward and cover the central defenders as well.
Ezri Konsa will continue at the heart of the defence with his usual partner Tyrone Mings. In the midfield pivot, Leander Dendoncker will look to break up the opposition attacks, and Douglas Luiz will recycle possession and provide defensive cover for the centre-backs.
Emiliano Buendia will start as the central attacking midfielder, and the Argentine will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third. John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey are likely to be deployed as the inverter playmakers in the final third. The duo will look to drift out wide from time to time to provide some width to the side.
Ollie Watkins has been one of the best players in the league since Emery’s arrival and the 27-year-old will lead the line for the West Midlands club here.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Dendoncker, Luiz; McGinn, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
Fulham
Layvin Kurzawa is the only injury absentee for Fulham here. However, the visitors will be without star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who is suspended.
💬 On playing without Mitrović: "Another thing we heard is that this team can only win with Mitrović. We are stronger with him but we are showing that we have solutions."#AVLFUL pic.twitter.com/vVguyIsfBc
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) April 24, 2023
Marco Silva is likely to field his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be the full-backs here, and the two players will look to aid counter-attacking opportunities for their side. Tosin Adarabioyo and Tim Ream will start at the heart of the defence.
Harrison Reed and Joao Palhinha will look to protect the central defenders and create counter-attacking opportunities from the deep. Harry Wilson and Willian will be the wingers here. The two wide attackers will look to add creativity and width to the side.
Andreas Pereira will be the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Dan James is likely to lead the line in the absence of Mitrovic. The Welshman will look to cause problems for the home side with his pace and runs in behind.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Pereira, Willian; James
Key Stats
- Aston Villa are undefeated in their last nine matches in the Premier League.
- Fulham have won four of their last six matches against Aston Villa.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Fulham have kept three clean sheets in their last six matches against Aston Villa.
- Aston Villa have kept four clean sheets in their last six matches across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
OW11. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/OFoh310BMb
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 21, 2023
The 27-year-old Aston Villa striker is undoubtedly the player to watch out for in this game. Watkins is in the form of his life, and he has scored eight goals and picked up two assists in his last ten outings for Aston Villa.
He could cause all sorts of problems for a vulnerable Fulham defence, and the visitors will have to be at their best when it comes to containing him.
Prediction
Aston Villa 3-1 Fulham
The West Midlands club are currently full of confidence and momentum heading into this game, and they should be able to grind out all three points here. Fulham have picked up two wins from the last two league outings. But the likes of Leeds United and Everton have been largely underwhelming.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, are one of the most in-form teams in the league right now, and this will be an uphill challenge for Fulham. The home side should be able to pick up a comprehensive win at Villa Park. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Unai Emery’s side.
