Aston Villa return to Premier League action this Saturday at Villa Park as they take on Fulham live with a clear mission, bounce back from cup heartbreak and keep the pressure on the top five.
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ASTON VILLA VS FULHAM LIVE: LINEUPS
Aston Villa and Fulham have both named strong starting XIs for today’s Premier League clash at Villa Park, sticking to a familiar 4-2-3-1 setup. For Villa, Emiliano Martínez starts in goal behind a back four of Cash, Konsa, Torres, and Maatsen. Captain John McGinn and Youri Tielemans sit in midfield, with a dynamic trio of Kamara, Asensio, and Rogers supporting star striker Ollie Watkins. Unai Emery has kept faith in the attacking fluidity that’s defined Villa’s home form, with Leon Bailey, Donyell Malen, and Ross Barkley among the firepower available on the bench.
Fulham boss Marco Silva has also named a familiar setup, with Bernd Leno wearing the captain’s armband in goal. Tete, Bassey, Andersen, and Robinson form the defensive line, while midfield duties are split between Berge and Lukic. Ryan Sessegnon, Wilson, and Iwobi offer pace and creativity behind Raúl Jiménez, who leads the line. Emile Smith Rowe, Adama Traoré, and Willian are notable options on the bench, ready to inject fresh energy if needed. With both sides chasing European spots, expect an intense, high-stakes encounter.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Manager: Unai Emery
Starting XI:
- GK: Emiliano Martínez
- RB: Matty Cash
- CB: Ezri Konsa
- CB: Pau Torres
- LB: Ian Maatsen
- CM: John McGinn (Captain)
- CM: Youri Tielemans
- RW: Marco Asensio
- CAM: Morgan Rogers
- LW: Boubacar Kamara
- ST: Ollie Watkins
Substitutes:
- Robin Olsen
- Tyrone Mings
- Lucas Digne
- Andrés García
- Ross Barkley
- Amadou Onana
- Leon Bailey
- Jacob Ramsey
- Donyell Malen
Fulham (4-2-3-1)
Manager: Marco Silva
Starting XI:
- GK: Bernd Leno (Captain)
- RB: Kenny Tete
- CB: Calvin Bassey
- CB: Joachim Andersen
- LB: Antonee Robinson
- CM: Sander Berge
- CM: Sasa Lukic
- RW: Harry Wilson
- CAM: Alex Iwobi
- LW: Ryan Sessegnon
- ST: Raúl Jiménez
Substitutes:
- Steven Benda
- Jorge Cuenca
- Timothy Castagne
- Harrison Reed
- Tom Cairney
- Emile Smith Rowe
- Adama Traoré
- Carlos Vinícius
- Willian
ASTON VILLA VS FULHAM LIVE: PREVIEW
After crashing out of the FA Cup with a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace and narrowly losing to Manchester City days earlier, Unai Emery’s side now turn their focus back to the league, where a Champions League spot is still within reach.
Villa sit seventh in the table, three points behind fifth, with four games left to play. Emery knows there’s no more room for slip-ups.
They’ll face a Fulham team just one spot behind them in eighth, with Marco Silva’s side quietly having one of their best top-flight seasons in years. Fulham beat relegated Southampton last weekend to halt a two-game slide and will be pushing for a strong finish.
Stats tell the story of two dangerous teams. Ollie Watkins has been Villa’s talisman, scoring 15 Premier League goals, 13 of which either put his team ahead or leveled the match. Meanwhile, Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon has been electric in limited minutes, averaging a goal or assist every 69 minutes, second only to Mo Salah among high-minute players.
John McGinn could make his 200th Premier League appearance, becoming only the 10th Villa player to hit that milestone, and the 16th Scotsman to do it league-wide.
While Fulham’s Andreas Pereira has created more chances from set pieces than anyone in the league (37), they’ve somehow scored the fewest goals from set plays, just five all season (penalties excluded). Not the most efficient stat line.
There’s more fuel in Villa’s tank when they play at home. They’re unbeaten in their last 16 home games, with nine wins and seven draws. That run only started after an opening-day loss to Arsenal, since then, Villa Park has been a fortress.
History favors the hosts. Fulham haven’t won at Villa Park in over a decade, just one win in their last 20 visits, and they’ve lost the last five in a row. Villa have also taken six of the last seven league meetings overall, including a 3-1 win at Craven Cottage earlier this season.
That reverse fixture saw Fulham strike first through Raúl Jiménez before Morgan Rogers equalized and Watkins and an own goal from Issa Diop wrapped things up. Emiliano Martínez also saved a penalty in that one, shutting down Andreas Pereira to flip the momentum.
This Saturday, Villa will be without Marcus Rashford, who remains sidelined with injury. Axel Disasi is back after missing the FA Cup match due to being cup-tied. For Fulham, Rodrigo Muniz is unlikely to return this season, but Antonee Robinson is back in training. Reiss Nelson remains out.
Ahead of the match, Emery is calling on the Villa Park crowd to bring the energy. “We have to be together tomorrow,” he said. “Get our best energy through our supporters… play consistently like we are playing in Villa Park.”
Silva, too, knows the stakes: “Big, big game for us, and I believe for Villa too. The pressure from the Villa supporters is going to be big. We love these types of games, and we need to show our quality.”
With both sides still fighting for European places and Villa looking to reclaim their early-season momentum, this one’s got all the ingredients for a high-stakes Premier League showdown.
Kick-off is at 5:00 PM IST / 12:30 PM BST at Villa Park.
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