- Aston Villa travel to London to take on Fulham on Saturday
- Michael Oliver is the referee for the match
- Villa need just two more wins to secure Champions League qualification
Aston Villa face Fulham in matchday 34 of the Premier League on Saturday at Craven Cottage. The Villans will be looking to move one step closer to returning to the Champions League, and make next season their fourth consecutive campaign competing in a European competition.
Unai Emery’s side was victorious last weekend against Sunderland, in a frantic end to the game that finished 4-3. Tammy Abraham rescued the three points in the 93rd minute, after they conceded two goals within two minutes.
The result solidified their position inside the top four, with three points separating them from Liverpool in fourth. Brighton and Bournemouth have now both moved above Chelsea, meaning a win on Saturday will extend Villa’s gap to sixth place, eleven points, which will all but confirm their participation in the Champions League next season.
Heading into the match, Villa are in superb form, having won five of their last six games. Meanwhile, Fulham have struggled, winning only one of their previous five.
In the reverse fixture, goals by Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and Emi Buendia were enough to breeze past Fulham 3-1. It was their first win of the season, after failing to beat any of their first five opponents.
With Villa now certainly in a better place, Emery will be hoping they can continue their momentum into the latter stages of the 2025/26 campaign.
Let’s take a look at the match officials for Fulham vs Aston Villa.
Who is the referee for Fulham vs Aston Villa?
Michael Oliver has been appointed referee for the encounter. Oliver has officiated three games for Villa this season, with the Villans winning two of them.
The most recent fixture he was in charge of was in February of this year, in Villa’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
Their two wins were against Manchester United in December, where Morgan Rogers’ double led them to a 2-1 victory, and Manchester City last October. It finished 1-0 in that game.
Michael Oliver record against Aston Villa
| Matches | Villa wins | Draws | Villa defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 14 | 8 | 19 |
Michael Oliver record against Fulham
| Matches | Fulham wins | Draws | Fulham defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 |
Who are the assistant referees and VAR?
Oliver’s assistants will be Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, with Anthony Backhouse as fourth official.
At Stockley Park, Paul Howard will be on VAR duty, alongside Nick Hopton as his assistant.
