Aston Villa v Fulham: Prediction, tips and bet builder as Villans chase European rendezvous

Having got the taste of elite European football, Villa are hungry for more and are pushing to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The club gallantly represented the country on the continent, picking up victories over the likes of Bayern Munich, Celtic, RB Leipzig and Bologna.

Emery’s men reached the quarter-finals and came close to pulling off one of the all-time great comebacks against PSG. Despite going out, Villa went further in the competition than any other English side and they certainly earned a lot of respect.

As is the case with football, you are only as good as your next result. Unfortunately for the Villans, their last two outings both ended in defeats.

With the fight for the top five in the Premier League set to go the distance, Emery’s side simply cannot afford anymore setbacks.

Their next test comes at home against another tough side – Fulham. The Cottagers are just one spot behind the Villans in the table but a run of four defeats from their last six Premier League games means their chances of a top five finish have significantly diminished.

Fulham are still eyeing a potential spot in the Europa or the Conference League, though they too cannot afford slip-ups.

While Marco Silva’s men have enjoyed a terrific season, their record against Villa does not fill us with much confidence.

Four straight defeats and just one win from seven portrays a sombre head-to-head image ahead of this all-important fixture.

There is a lot at stake for both clubs, but it is fair to say that Villa will be feeling confident considering they are in the midst of a 19-match unbeaten run at home.

Their last six at Villa Park have all ended in victories – including a 4-1 demolition of fellow Champions League challengers Newcastle.

Here we pick out some of our best tips for this juicy Saturday meeting, and if you put it into a Betway bet builder you’ll get odds of around 7/1.

Aston Villa v Fulham bet builder

Aston Villa to win – 4/5

Both teams to score – 4/6

Ollie Watkins 1+ offsides – 1/1

Marco Asensio 1+ shots on target – 30/100

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

While this does have the makings of a close encounter, there are two stats which are pushing us towards Villa.

Firstly, their home record in recent times is exceptional. Newcastle, PSG, Nottingham Forest were their last three opponents at Villa Park and all three tasted defeats on the night.

Secondly, the head-to-head record also makes us lean towards the hosts. Villa have done really well against Fulham in recent games and there’s no reason why that should change.

Bearing all that in mind, our first two bets consist of an Aston Villa win and both teams to score. This bet landed in the previous three meetings between these clubs.

We’re also adding Ollie Watkins to the acca. With Marcus Rashford injured, Watkins is finally set to get some serious minutes. With an eager forward looking to cause damage, we’re backing the England international to fall victim to the offside trap at least once.

Marco Asensio also looks tasty in the betting. The Spaniard is priced at 30/100 to have at least one shot on target. Considering his eagerness in attack, we’re adding him to the acca.

Aston Villa v Fulham: How to watch and listen

Saturday’s Premier League fixture will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports. Live radio coverage will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live.

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How do we create our tips?

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