Aston Villa v Fulham: predicted line-up, team news and match preview
It feels as if every match is a milestone for Aston Villa at the moment, so bad has been their form at the start of the season.
Villa are baby-stepping in the right direction. They’ve conceded two goals in four matches since the international break. Defeats became draws. Draws became a win. Slowly but surely, players are rediscovering their touch and starting to leave behind whatever collective brainrot destroyed their ability to play.
Manager Unai Emery and his players have obviously been distracted – knocked off-kilter entirely, really – but the time has come to focus on getting results and, while that’s not a simple flick of a switch, the positive moments are lengthening and Villa are beginning to have their say.
The performances against Everton, Brentford and Sunderland were better than Crystal Palace. The performance against Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday was mostly better than all three of those put together and, though patchy, provided some encouraging signs.
Villa got a win – now they need another
Nobody expected Villa to take until the end of September to pick up their first win of the season, nor to reach the visit of Fulham without a Premier League win.
That’s the next milestone. Villa have gone into every game since the draw with Newcastle United pedalling uphill, disadvantaged by their own hang-ups. For the first time this season, they will kick off Sunday’s game on the back of a win.
They’ll be back at home three days after a victory and a clean sheet. They should have their tails up at last and I’m actually looking forward to seeing a Villa team with some momentum play at Villa Park.
Fulham are no joke. Marco Silva has crafted a quality team and they’re coming to Birmingham having won their last two Premier League matches against Leeds United and Brentford but are yet to win away from home this season.
Beating the Cottagers will take Villa’s best. For the first time in a good while, something approaching Villa’s best doesn’t seem altogether out of reach.
Villa team news
Emery told the press on Friday that Villa will still be without midfield trio Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley for the visit of Fulham on Sunday.
Right-back Andrés García returned to the bench against Bologna on Thursday and will therefore be available again at the weekend as an understudy for Matty Cash.
The surprise absentee from the Europa League matchday squad was goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who officially missed out because of a slight muscle injury.
On Friday, Emery expressed his hope that the Argentina international will be ready for the Fulham match but confirmed that he will face a fitness test before that decision is made.
Villa predicted line-up v Fulham
Far be it from me to guess at a player’s fitness before a match but I’ve painted myself into the corner of predicting the team, so predict the team I shall: Marco Bizot. Marco Bizot.
Elsewhere, we’re seeing some patterns emerge that might be questionable but they are there so they must be observed. Ollie Watkins to come straight back into the eleven and Morgan Rogers to keep his place in front of an increasingly suspicious Villa Park crowd? You bet!
The other assumption we can make is that Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho will start in the Premier League when and only when they are literally the last resort. It seems a little weird to me, but what do I know?
The midfield pairing picks itself with three alternatives still out of contention and the only other real question marks are on the left side of the defence. Ian Maatsen and Pau Torres both finished Thursday’s game against Bologna with their heads held high but I think Emery goes with his first choices for this one.
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