Fulham vs Aston Villa: What’s Going to Happen During This Weekend?

This weekend, the Premier League is back with more matches. Fulham will face Unai Emery's Aston Villa team in a crucial game at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Fulham is currently in 12th place in the Premier League standings and hasn't been performing their best this season. However, they won their last game against Bournemouth with a convincing 3-1 scoreline and will aim for another win this weekend.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, is in fifth place in the league table and has been in great form this season. Despite this, they lost 2-1 to Manchester United last week and will be eager to recover in this match.

Fulham vs Aston Villa: Head-to-Head Statistics

In their head-to-head encounters, Aston Villa holds a slight advantage over Fulham, winning 27 out of the 75 matches played between the two teams, while Fulham has secured 26 victories. However, Fulham has had a strong record at home against Aston Villa in recent times, winning three out of their last four matches at Craven Cottage in the Premier League and keeping four clean sheets in their last five such games.

On the other hand, Aston Villa has been dominant in their recent meetings overall, winning four out of the last five matches against Fulham in the Premier League. However, they suffered a setback in this fixture last season, losing by a 3-0 scoreline.

Fulham has displayed strong performances at home in the Premier League, winning six out of their nine matches at Craven Cottage and scoring at least three goals in five of these games.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa has been formidable against teams from London, winning their last nine matches against such opponents in the Premier League. They have also defeated Fulham twice during this period.

Team News: Fulham vs Aston Villa

• This weekend, Fulham's Nigerian duo, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, are set to return after their Africa Cup of Nations disappointment in the final against Ivory Coast. Additionally, there's hope that Tosin Adarabioyo will recover from a knock that kept him out of the last game. However, Kenny Tete might still be sidelined with a calf issue, while Raul Jimenez remains out due to a severe thigh injury, likely keeping him off the field until March's end. Nonetheless, Fulham has found strength in Muniz, who has scored three goals in the last two Premier League games after a goal drought in his first 10 matches.
• On the other hand, Aston Villa suffered a significant blow during their recent loss to Man United as Boubacar Kamara sustained a knee injury expected to keep him out for the season. This adds to the injury list, including long-term knee injuries for Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia, Ezri Konsa's ongoing issue, and Jhon Duran's hamstring problem. With Kamara's absence, Youri Tielemans or Moussa Diaby may see more playing time. Additionally, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne could return to the starting lineup after overcoming their physical setbacks.

Here are the possible starting lineups for both teams:

Fulham Possible Starting Lineup:

• Leno; Castagne, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Cairney, Palhinha; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Muniz

Aston Villa Possible Starting Lineup:

• Martinez; Cash, Torres, Lenglet, Digne; Luiz, McGinn; Diaby, Tielemans, Bailey; WatkinsTop of Form