Gameweek 35 of the 2024/25 Premier League season continues on Saturday with four matches. The latest round of fixtures will start on Friday with the game between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad. The action on Saturday will kick off with Aston Villa vs Fulham at Villa Park, featuring two teams vying for European qualification.
A rollercoaster ride best signifies Aston Villa’s 2024/25 campaign. Just when it seems the Villans are turning a corner and embarking on a long unbeaten run, an inexplicable defeat leaves fans and pundits alike scratching their heads. The latest setback was the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals. That followed a 2-1 loss to Manchester City, which ended Villa’s five-game winning run in the Premier League.
However, Unai Emery’s men remain in contention to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with fifth-placed Chelsea only three points ahead. Interestingly, only one spot separates Aston Villa and Fulham, with the West London outfit six points behind the hosts.
The Cottagers have also blown hot and cold in the last few weeks, winning only two of their five most Premier League clashes. The inconsistent spell has practically ended Fulham’s prospects of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. However, they can still make a case to return to the UEFA Europa League.
The reverse fixture saw Aston Villa come from a goal down to beat Fulham 3-1, with both teams having a player sent off. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Unai Emery has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player vs Fulham on Saturday.
However, the solitary absentee is a pivotal figure, with Marcus Rashford recovering from a thigh injury that will likely keep him on the sidelines for the remainder of the 2024/25 season. Otherwise, Emery has a full-strength squad for Saturday’s Premier League clash.
Emiliano Martinez will take his spot between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Fulham on Saturday. The backline should feature Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, and Lucas Digne.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans should pair up in the double pivot, with Amadou Onana being an option on the bench. Marco Asensio will reprise the no. 10 role, with Morgan Rogers and John McGinn playing around him. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa against Fulham on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, Asensio, McGinn; Watkins
Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Marco Silva has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Fulham manager will be without only two first-team players on Saturday.
Antonee Robinson will return this weekend after recovering from a minor knee injury. So, that leaves Reiss Nelson (hamstring) and Rodrigo Muniz (achilles) as the only absentees for the away side.
Bernd Leno is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Aston Villa on Saturday. The backline should feature Kenny Tete, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and the fit-again Antonee Robinson.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Sasa Lukic and Sander Berge in the double pivot. So, Andreas Pereira will be a backup option on the bench. Emile Smith Rowe will reprise the no. 10 role, with Ryan Sessegnon and Alex Iwobi being the two wide attackers. Finally, Raul Jimenez will spearhead the Fulham attack against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Sessegnon; Jimenez
While Marco Asensio, Alex Iwobi, and the in-form Ryan Sessegnon were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Ollie Watkins as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park.
13 of Watkins’s 15 Premier League goals this season have either put Aston Villa ahead (7) or drawn them level (6) in the match, the highest percentage of any player to score more than ten this term (87%). With Marcus Rashford likely done for the 2024/25 season, the onus will be on the English international to produce the goods in front of the goal for Aston Villa.
The last few weeks have seen Aston Villa showing a soft underbelly, and Fulham will aim to exploit that on Saturday. In addition, Marcus Rashford’s absence robs the home side of some much-needed creativity. That was also visible when Crystal Palace beat the West Midlands club in the FA Cup semi-final.
However, Fulham’s defensive issues will keep Aston Villa in contention to clinch a narrow victory. In addition, Unai Emery has an exceptional record against the West London outfit, winning all six of his Premier League games against them.
There are just four examples of a manager having more games with a 100% win rate against an opponent – Pep Guardiola vs Watford (10/10), Guardiola vs Fulham (9/9), Jose Mourinho vs Portsmouth (7/7), and Roberto Mancini vs Wigan Athletic (7/7). Emery should join Mancini and Mourinho with a seventh victory, as The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 triumph for Aston Villa.
