Premier League: Fulham Aiming to Foil In-Form Aston Villa

Aston Villa vs Fulham

Fulham are suddenly flying again. After a five-game losing skid, the Cottagers have reeled off two consecutive wins against relegation-threatened Everton and Leeds as they’ve climbed back up to ninth in the Premier League table.

Fulham now travel to the Midlands to face in-form Aston Villa, who saw their five-game win streak snapped by Brentford over the weekend.

But the Villans are closing in on 10 games unbeaten in the Premier League, and the Premier League 2023 betting odds will back them at home against the Cottagers.

Talking Points

Aston Villa’s unbeaten run still alive

Aston Villa’s impressive five-game winning streak finally came to an end as they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Brentford over the weekend. Douglas Luiz scored Villa’s equaliser three minutes from time to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to nine games in a row (7 wins, 2 draws).

Villa dominated 57 per cent of possession, but they were still outshot 16-14 and could only manage two shots on target.

In-form striker Ollie Watkins was unable to produce any Premier League 2023 highlights as he failed to get a goal contribution as well as a shot on target for only the second time in his last 13 games.

Meanwhile, World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez was forced off at half-time due to a stomach illness, according to Emery. Villa will be hoping he can recover in time to face Fulham, especially after backup Robin Olsen’s shaky cameo in the second half.

Unai Emery has fielded a fairly settled starting XI over the last few weeks, and with the absence of Leon Bailey, Matty Cash, Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara, his options to change up his side remain limited.

There might be a bit of fatigue starting to set in amid the lack of squad rotation in recent weeks, but a return to Villa Park should help energise Emery’s men. Villa have won four games in a row at home, keeping four straight clean sheets.

Fulham fully recovered from slump

After seemingly being all set to start their summer vacation, Fulham are back on the winning track with back-to-back victories against relegation battlers Everton away and Leeds United at home.

Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira both scored to give Fulham all three points against the Whites over the weekend.

With top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic still suspended, Carlos Vinicius out of favour, and Daniel James unable to face his parent club, Marco Silva opted to start Bobby DeCordova Reid at centre-forward, although he did not register a single shot.

James will be available once again to face Aston Villa, and he might be handed another start after his outstanding one-goal, one-assist performance against Everton.

However, it’s fellow Welshman Harry Wilson who is Fulham’s current in-form forward. The 26-year-old has taken over as the starter over Manor Solomon in the last two games, and he has made the most of that opportunity by scoring in both games.

However, Fulham are having some issues on the defensive end of the pitch. Thanks to the efforts of defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha, the Cottagers have been surprisingly competent on defence, but they have not kept a clean sheet in their last seven games.

History

This will be the 30th Premier League meeting between Fulham and Aston Villa. The Villans hold an 11-7 advantage in wins, with 11 draws.

Fulham won their first matchup this season 3-0 at Craven Cottage, which was the loss that led to Steven Gerrard’s sacking.

Harrison Reed and Mitrovic both scored for Fulham, while Villa defender Tyrone Mings scored a late own goal. Villa finished with just 10 men after Douglas Luiz was sent off with half an hour to go.

Betting Tip 

SBOTOP odds have Aston Villa installed as massive 1.72 favourites to get back to winning ways at Villa Park. Fulham are priced at 4.10, while a draw is 3.65.

While Fulham have gone on a bit of a resurgence, it’s hard not to overlook the fact that they defeated two sides who are battling for their Premier League lives. They still have some issues at the back, and questions remain about their ability to attack against a good defence without their main man Mitrovic.

Villa will be keen to bounce back after their draw against Brentford, so look for them to start out fast in the first half against Fulham.

 

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