Aston Villa’s nine-match league unbeaten run is on the line Tuesday, and the home Fulham side would like to make its own late-season push toward the top of the table.
Manager Unai Emery’s sixth-place Villa (15-11-6, 51 points) had won five in a row prior to Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton and Hove Albion, another side hoping to finish the season in the European places.
Villa could propel themselves into fifth with a home victory on Tuesday while watching Tottenham slide.
Striker Ollie Watkins has been at the heart of the Villains’ second-half surge, scoring 11 goals in his last 13 games to push his league total to 14.
Saturday’s draw was the third match in that stretch in which he failed to find the net. But defensive midfielder Douglas Luiz provided the 87th-minute equalizer for his fourth of the year.
The Villains also lost World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez at halftime to stomach illness symptoms, though he may recover in time for Tuesday’s clash.
“Hopefully, Emi is ready for tomorrow,” Emery said on Monday. “We are going to know tomorrow morning when we meet to prepare for the match.”
Fulham (13-12-6, 45 points) were once riding their own in-form striker Aleksandro Mitrovic earlier this season, when they looked more likely than Villa to swipe a top-six finish and place in Europe next year.
He’s now only halfway through an eight-match suspension following an altercation with referee Chris Kavanagh during an FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Manchester United in March.
That came amid a five-game losing streak in all competitions — including four in the league — as manager Marco Silva’s men tumbled back toward the middle of the table.
Back-to-back wins away to Everton and home against Leeds United have the Cottagers back in the top half of the table and still with an outside chance at the top six. They’re six points back of Villa entering Tuesday.
Striker Harry Wilson has seized the opportunity left by Mitrovic’s absence, scoring in both victories after failing to find the net in his first 20 appearances.
Fulham only have one win all season against a team currently in the top half of the table, away to Brighton. But they haven’t been the kind of side to play conservatively in the face of a quality opponent.
“They are strong, playing at home you know the type of atmosphere we are going to face at Villa Park,” Silva said. “But it will be a good game for us as well because we will be able to challenge, and we like this type of challenge.”
–Field Level Media