Aston Villa travel to Craven Cottage today looking to extend their Champions League lead and maintain their perfect record against Fulham.
- Kick-off is at 12:30pm, live on TNT Sports and streaming via Discovery+
- Emery has won all eight of his Premier League games against the Cottagers
- Watkins has six goals in nine Premier League appearances against today’s opponents
- Fulham have failed to score in four of their last five league games
The Occasion. Champions League qualification within touching distance
Villa arrive in west London in outstanding form, carrying the momentum of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final booking and last weekend’s dramatic 4-3 victory over Sunderland.
A 13-point gap separates the two clubs in the Premier League table, with Emery’s side needing one more victory to mathematically confirm their Champions League place for next season.
Fulham, meanwhile, have a different kind of motivation. Marco Silva’s side, whose manager is out of contract this summer amid Chelsea interest, are desperate to end a goal drought that has seen them fail to score in four of their last five league games.
Home advantage and a passionate Craven Cottage crowd are their greatest assets on a morning where Villa arrive as heavy favourites.
Key battles. The Abraham dilemma
The most interesting selection question surrounds Tammy Abraham.
The Chelsea loanee’s late winner against Sunderland demonstrated his instinctive quality in crucial moments and there is a genuine case for starting him alongside Watkins in a 4-4-1-1 system, with Rogers operating on the left.
Dropping Ross Barkley would be the most straightforward adjustment to accommodate both strikers simultaneously.
Emery faces a similarly nuanced decision on the left flank.
Jadon Sancho and Emiliano Buendia are both pushing for inclusion the former offering directness and pace, the latter providing subtlety and technical control.
Sancho’s return to fitness after his shoulder injury adds an intriguing dimension to an already competitive selection call.
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Fulham
(4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins.
Kamara remains sidelined with his long-term knee injury. Alysson continues his recovery from a separate fitness concern. Beyond those two absences, Emery has rare and welcome squad depth available at a decisive stage of the campaign.
Where to Watch
Saturday’s 12:30pm kick-off at Craven Cottage is live on TNT Sports in the United Kingdom. The fixture is also available to stream via Discovery+ for subscribers. Villa supporters without access to either can follow live text updates via the official club app and website.
