Fulham will host Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on Saturday, looking to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Manchester City.
Fulham put on a strong showing against Manchester City, and they will look to grind out a positive result against Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the visitors are unbeaten in the last six matches across all competitions, and they are coming into this game on the back of a win over Bayern Munich, and a draw against Manchester United. They will be full of confidence, and it remains to be seen whether Aston Villa can pick up all three points.
The Villans will need to win these games if they want to compete in the UEFA Champions League regularly. Aston Villa have an exceptional head-to-head record against Fulham as well, and they will look to continue that with a victory away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Carlos Vinicius misses out with a calf injury and Jorge Cuenca misses out with an ankle problem. Fulham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Aston Villa, with Bernd Leno between the sticks.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to protect the side defensively and help out during transitions. Joachim Andersen will start alongside Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defence.
Sasa Lukic and Andreas Pereira will start in the midfield double pivot. Lukic will break down opposition attacks and Pereira will add creativity and control from the deep. Emile Smith Rowe will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to carve open the Aston Villa defence with his passing and vision.
Adama Traore will start in the wide areas along with Alex Iwobi. They will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Raul Jimenez will lead the line for Fulham against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Pereira; Traore, Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Aston Villa
The visitors could be without Boubacar Kamara because of a knee injury. Tyrone Mings is also a doubt, even though he has recovered from his knee problem. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Fulham, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ezri Konsa will start alongside Pau Torres in the central defensive pairing.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana will look to break up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side. Youri Tielemans will look to control the tempo of the game alongside him.
In the wide areas, Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey will add creativity and pace to the side. Morgan Rogers will start as the central attacking midfielder, and Ollie Watkins will spearhead the Aston Villa attack against Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Ramsey, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have been winning at both half-time and full-time in their last four matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have won six of their last seven matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Aston Villa have scored at least two goals in their last three matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions. On the other hand, Fulham have failed to win four of their last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The Aston Villa striker is one of the best attackers in English football, and he will look to make his mark against Fulham. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and get on the score-sheet himself. The England international is our key player to watch out for, and Aston Villa will need him to step up and deliver if they want to grind out all three points away from home.
Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa are the better team here, and they should be able to grind out a victory. Fulham will look to make life difficult for their visitors, but the away side has the quality to edge this one. Aston Villa are far superior going forward, and they should be able to find a way past the Fulham resistance. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Unai Emery and his charges.
