Aston Villa will look to maintain their recent Premier League momentum when they welcome Fulham to Villa Park on Saturday evening, with both teams targeting a third consecutive league victory.
Unai Emery’s side have recovered impressively from their difficult start to the campaign, collecting 10 points from their last four Premier League matches – more than any other team during that period. Their recent progress was underlined by a 2-1 victory over Manchester City last weekend, when Nicolas Jackson scored twice to help Villa become the first side to defeat the league leaders this season.
Fulham have also found some momentum, recording consecutive 1-0 victories against Hull City and Coventry City. However, both clubs suffered midweek disappointment in the Carabao Cup, with Villa losing 3-0 away to Bournemouth and Fulham being eliminated following a 1-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace.
Despite the cup setback, Emery has been keen to emphasise the importance of maintaining his team’s league form. He has also warned against looking beyond Saturday’s fixture, with Barcelona and Manchester United among the challenges awaiting Villa in their upcoming schedule.
“If we are thinking, if we are thinking, after the match tomorrow against Fulham, we are making a mistake, and we are wrong, completely wrong.”
The Villa manager made clear that the Premier League encounter must remain the immediate priority, adding that every match represents a test of his players’ consistency and commitment.
Emery has also praised Fulham’s recent performances and the tactical work of their manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, describing the visitors as a team capable of making life difficult for their opponents.
“They are playing really well. They are competing fantastic in the last matches, even losing against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. In the league, they are really fantastic.”
Villa will have particular confidence in their record against Fulham. They have lost only once in 18 Premier League home meetings with the Cottagers, while Emery has won eight of his nine league encounters against them. The visitors’ last victory at Villa Park in the competition came in April 2014.
Nicolas Jackson is expected to be central to Villa’s attacking plans after making an impressive contribution in recent weeks. The striker has scored six goals in his last six matches, including his brace against Manchester City, and is increasingly becoming an important figure in Emery’s forward line.
However, the Villa manager believes the forward still has room to develop and has called for continued improvement rather than allowing his recent performances to become a reason for complacency.
“Time. Time and consistency. High demands of himself in his everyday tasks.”
Emery added that he was pleased with Jackson’s professionalism and commitment but stressed that the striker still needed to adapt further and become more consistent.
Villa’s squad has been affected by several injuries. Amadou Onana remains a long-term absentee, while Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are also unavailable with hamstring problems. Leon Goretzka, meanwhile, has been gradually increasing his involvement after recovering from injury and started Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat against Bournemouth.
Fulham arrive in Birmingham hoping their recent league improvements can continue against stronger opposition. Their two successive clean-sheet victories have provided some relief after a difficult opening period under Arbeloa, although the midweek defeat by Crystal Palace has prevented them from building further momentum.
The Fulham manager has acknowledged that his side must become more effective in the attacking third, particularly after failing to turn possession into enough clear opportunities against Palace.
“We did well enough to win the game but even with the [possession] data, we can do better in the final third. We could have created more chances.”
Arbeloa has also spoken positively about the challenge of facing Villa, praising both the quality of their squad and Emery’s work as a manager.
“They are very compact, they defend so well and even with the ball they know what they have to do. And they have top players, and when you have a top coach with top players, normally you have a top team.”
The Fulham boss went further in his assessment of his opposite number, describing Emery as one of the best coaches in the world and highlighting the challenge of facing a manager who continues to improve his teams.
Antonee Robinson is expected to start at left-back, with Arbeloa publicly backing the defender following criticism of his performance against Crystal Palace. Ryan Sessegnon remains unavailable as he serves the final match of his three-game suspension. The manager also confirmed that Fulham have no new injury concerns following their cup defeat, while Emile Smith Rowe has been told to remain patient and work for another opportunity.
Fulham’s ability to retain possession could be an important part of the contest, but their manager’s own comments suggest that creating clearer opportunities in the final third will be essential if they are to trouble Villa’s defence.
With Villa looking to extend their winning run and Fulham seeking a third consecutive league success, Saturday’s meeting promises to be a competitive test. The hosts have the stronger recent record and the advantage of playing at Villa Park, but Arbeloa’s side have shown enough improvement to make this an important challenge for Emery’s team.
