Aston Villa vs Fulham

Saturday’s Premier League action kicks off at Villa Park as top-five hopefuls Aston Villa take on mid-table Fulham in a must-win showdown.

After suffering a dismal 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals and previously exiting the Champions League, Aston Villa’s only priority for the rest of the season is securing a top-five finish in the Premier League. However, a 2-1 defeat to fellow top-five bidders Manchester City dashed those hopes, putting the Lions at risk of losing back-to-back league games for only the second time since the start of last season. The impending return to Villa Park should inspire confidence around Unai Emery’s camp, considering his men boast an intimidating 16-game unbeaten streak in home league action (W9, D7). Furthermore, the Spaniard has won all six previous managerial H2Hs against Fulham in the Premier League.

That should be an added incentive for Fulham boss Marco Silva, whose side can close the gap to Villa to only three points with a win here. However, that could prove easier said than done, with the London outfit losing their last four league outings against this opposition, not to mention their most recent top-flight visit to Birmingham. That defeat forms part of Fulham’s dreadful record of just one win from their last 20 away H2Hs (D7, L12). Another loss isn’t a foregone conclusion after a last-gasp win at rock-bottom Southampton a week ago saw the Cottagers halt a three-match losing run on the road. Interestingly, none of Fulham’s last 14 matches have ended all square (W7, L7), suggesting this meeting could go either way.