AstonVilla are looking to consolidate their winning streak in the Premier League before heading to the Champions League, where they will face Barcelona next Tuesday. The team led by Unai Emery, which today hosts Fulham at Villa Park, aims to add its third consecutive victory in the domestic competition and, in the group stage of the Champions League, aims to achieve its fourth victory in the league phase.
After the defeat in the round of 16 of the League Cup against Bournemouth (3-0) with a squad mostly of substitutes, Villa showed their potential on Saturday by beating Manchester City (2-1) at the Premier Stadium, with a double from Nico Jackson. That result gave them momentum that they seek to maintain in the match against Fulham, where the Birmingham team occupies ninth position with 11 points after 24 games, just two points behind the leading duo City-Arsenal.
Fulham, for its part, arrives with two consecutive victories, beating Hull (1-0) and Coventry (0-1). The match is shaping up to be an important challenge for Villa, who needs to continue the upward trend and secure a third victory in the Premier League. The players expected to form the starting eleven are Suzuki, Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres and Maatsen in defense; Kamara and João Gomes in midfield; and Alysson, Manzambi and McGinn up front, with Jackson as a key figure. In the opposition team, Leno, Castagne, Affengruber, Bassey and Robinson are expected in defense, with Berge and Charles in midfield, and Bobb, King and Iwobi in attack, led by Gonzalo.
At Villa, Amadou Onana will remain absent due to an anterior cruciate ligament, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Matteo Ruggeri will remain out for several weeks with hamstring and adductor injuries, respectively, which will affect the squad in the Champions League match. Unai Emery, with the experience of the victory over City, will probably maintain the same defensive scheme with Pau Torres in the rearguard.
With the aim of securing the third consecutive victory in the Premier League and advancing in the group stage of the Champions League, AstonVilla is preparing for a match that will be decisive for its position in the table and its trajectory in the European competition. The result of the match against Fulham will determine whether Emery's team can continue its positive streak before facing Barcelona in the next round of the Champions League.