Aston Villa hosts Fulham at Villa Park on Tuesday for a Premier League clash between two sides still in the hunt for a place in Europe.
Team Form
Aston Villa
Aston Villa, under the guidance of their manager Unai Emery, has been on a remarkable run of scoring in every game they have played so far. However, in their recent match against Brentford, they struggled for large portions of the game and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. With this draw, Villa remains unbeaten in their last nine top-flight games.
Villa missed an excellent opportunity to extend their winning streak to six and put pressure on the other teams chasing a Champions League spot. They are placed sixth in the rankings, and the gap to the top four teams is eight points. This gap increased due to Newcastle United’s 6-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
They have won their last four home games against teams like Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United without conceding a goal.
Aston Villa PL Form: W W W W D
Fulham
Harry Wilson, scoring in back-to-back Premier League games for only the second time in his career, led Fulham to a tense victory over relegation-threatened Leeds United.
Fulham’s win marked their second consecutive victory in the Premier League, a significant improvement compared to their five-game losing streak earlier in the spring.
Also, Brentford’s failure to beat Aston Villa lifted Fulham to the ninth spot in the standings, trailing seventh-placed Liverpool by only five points.
Although Fulham has experienced some positives in the past couple of weeks, they have conceded goals in their last seven games, which could be a better statistic before facing Unai Emery’s high-scoring team. Furthermore, Fulham has only won two of their last six away matches.
Fulham PL Form: L L L W W
Squad Report
Aston Villa
Although there are concerns about Emiliano Martinez’s illness, Aston Villa remains hopeful that it will not affect his availability for their next match on Tuesday.
Philippe Coutinho is currently nursing a thigh injury and is doubtful for the game, along with Leon Bailey, who is also struggling with a similar injury. Additionally, Boubacar Kamara is dealing with an ankle injury, and Matty Cash is recovering from a similar issue.
Fulham
Fulham will still have to do without the services of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who will serve the fifth game of his seven-game suspension.
Meanwhile, left-back Layvin Kurzawa continues to struggle with a knee injury and is not expected to return until next month.
Aston Villa’s expected starting lineup:
Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Dendoncker, Luiz, Ramsey; Buendia, Watkins
Fulham’s expected starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; Wilson, Pereira, Willian; James
Head to Head
In their previous 36 meetings, Aston Villa emerged victorious in 13 matches, while Fulham won 12. Additionally, 11 matches have ended in a draw.
Time, Date & Venue
Date: Tuesday, April 25
Time: 06:45 pm, UTC
Venue: Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham
Prediction
Aston Villa has the edge in the upcoming match against Fulham and should be able to bounce back from their recent draw with a win.
However, Silva’s side is known for their resilience and determination, and they will undoubtedly put up a fight and make it difficult for Aston Villa to secure the win.
