Fulham vs Aston Villa Preview

• Draw
• Watkins to score

Fulham’s Strong Start and Home Advantage

Fulham enter this match on the back of a spirited 3-2 defeat to Manchester City, marking their first Premier League loss since a narrow 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on the opening day.

Between these two setbacks, Marco Silva’s side have put together an impressive run, amassing 11 points from three wins and two draws, leaving them in a respectable eighth place as the weekend begins.

Craven Cottage has been a fortress for Fulham, where they’ve secured two wins and a draw (W2, D1), coming close to a perfect home record if not for a last-minute equaliser by Danny Ings in a 1-1 draw against West Ham.

The Cottagers will aim to capitalise on their solid home form to leapfrog Aston Villa in the standings and put an end to a troubling three-game losing streak against their visitors.

Villa’s Quest for Consistency and Strong Away Form

Aston Villa will be eager to extend their winning run over Fulham to four games, which would also mark their first back-to-back league victories at Craven Cottage in their history.

Unai Emery’s side has experienced two successive Premier League draws but remains within touching distance of the top four. A win here could see Villa break into those coveted spots, at least temporarily.

The positives from their last outing—a goalless draw with Manchester United—were clear, as it marked Villa’s first Premier League clean sheet in 12 matches.

A solid defensive showing will be vital again, especially as Villa have proven to be resilient on the road in London, losing just once in their last 12 Premier League visits to the capital (W8, D3).

Key Players to Watch

Rodrigo Muniz (Fulham)

Muniz scored for Fulham in their last match against Manchester City and has shown a preference for finding the net at Craven Cottage, with seven of his eight goals prior to that coming on home soil. He also scored against Villa last season, making him a player to watch in this clash.

Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 

Watkins has a strong track record against Fulham, scoring five goals in his career against the Cottagers, with four of those coming after half-time.

He netted twice in Villa’s 2-1 win over Fulham last season, demonstrating his ability to make decisive contributions, especially late in games.

Conclusion

Fulham will be keen to leverage their strong home form to claim a crucial win that would see them move above Villa in the table, while also breaking a losing streak against their visitors.

Villa, however, will be confident given their recent defensive improvements and strong record in London, looking to add more consistency to their season by securing a win that could propel them into the top four.

Prediction: A tightly contested draw seems likely, with both teams showing resilience but lacking a decisive edge to claim all three points.

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Fulham v Aston Villa, 2024/25 | Premier League