Aston Villa vs Fulham verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins
Brentford ended Aston Villa’s four-match winning run at the weekend, but the hosts look well placed to return to winning ways against Fulham at Villa Park.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Premier League, Tuesday, April 25, Kick-off 7.45pm, live on BT Sport
Predicted score
Suggested bets
Key stats
Aston Villa have seen over 2.5 goals in their last four matches against Fulham in all competitions
Aston Villa are undefeated in their last nine PL matches
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in five of Fulham's last six PL games
Aston Villa have won their last four PL games at home to nil
Fulham have won their last two PL matches with both teams scoring
Fulham won the reverse fixture in October 3-0
Team news
Unai Emery could name an unchanged team against Fulham. Emiliano Martinez (illness) was replaced by Robin Olsen at half-time, but he should have recovered. Matty Cash, Philippe Coutinho (thigh), Leon Bailey (thigh), Boubacar Kamara are all missing.
Dan James, who was unable to face parent club Leeds at the weekend, will return and could replace Bobby Decordova-Reid in attack. Aleksandar Mitrovic is suspended. Layvin Kurzawa is missing but Neeskens Kebano is back in contention.
Verdict
Aston Villa's charge for Europe appears to have been timed to perfection, especially with Tottenham's current demise.
Emery has guided them into fifth spot after a run of four wins from five. That winning run ended in a strangely below-par performance in the weekend's draw at Brentford. The Bees though demand respect and Villa were not quite as fluent as they have been, but they can get back to winning ways against Fulham.
Emery has put together a settled side and his front four of Ollie Watkins, John McGinn, Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey have had plenty of joy against better teams than Fulham.
Villa have won their last four at home without conceding a goal and Newcastle were one of the teams that found it hard at Villa Park.
Man City, Arsenal and Leicester are the only teams to have beaten Villa in 2023 and Fulham's tendency to concede goals makes them vulnerable in the midlands.
Fulham did stroll to a victory over Villa in the corresponding fixture earlier this season in what proved to be Steven Gerrard's final game.
The Cottagers ended a five-match losing run at Everton and followed that up with a nervy home win over Leeds. That result was far from convincing against a struggling Leeds side, who are getting closer to the trap door.
Fulham have struggled to keep clean sheets and have gone seven games without a shut-out. They have won six times away, including an impressive 1-0 win at Brighton in February and at 7/2 they do look a bit of value.
Indeed they demand respect, having secured their Premier League safety and they may just play with a degree of freedom they have not often been afforded in the recent seasons in the top flight.
But Villa just look too strong at the current time and with the carrot of European football dangling Emery's men should have the tools to get the job done in front of the Holt End.
