Fulham vs Aston Villa – Can We Make It Eight Wins?

It’s a clash of the in-form sides on Saturday afternoon as Aston Villa face Fulham at Craven Cottage.

A late Adam Le Fondre goal meant Fulham could only manage a draw at strugglers Bolton last weekend. However, it was enough to keep up their unbeaten run and stay in the play-offs. Like Villa, Fulham are currently unbeaten in the league in 2018 having won five and drawn one of their past six matches.

Aston Villa are in equally-good form having won our previous seven matches. Victory over Fulham will make it the first time we’ve won eight in a row since the 1974/75 season under Ron Saunders. More importantly though, we can go four points clear of third-place Derby County after their loss on Tuesday evening.

Aston Villa go into the game off the back of a brilliant and comfortable win over rivals Birmingham. Goals from Adomah and Hourihane secured three points and we could easily have won by more. That put us second but there is still a long way to go…

According to reports both Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah could be out for the game against Fulham due to injury. It will be tough to replace the quality of both, especially Jack Grealish who’s been in brilliant form of late.

Projected Aston Villa XI (4-1-4-1): Johnstone; Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Hutton; Jedinak; Snodgrass, Hourihane, Onomah, Bjarnason; Hogan. (If fit, Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah in for Bjarnason and Onomah)

Substitutes: Bunn, Tuanzebe, Taylor, Whelan, Lansbury, Green, Grabban.

Prediction: 2-2

Fulham have been in great form recently and play with a real attacking threat. They won’t make it an easy game, especially at Craven Cottage. Last time out we managed to beat them 2-1 at Villa Park, however that was during Fulham’s poor start to the season. If Grealish and Adomah do miss out due to injury I think it’ll be best to bring in similar replacements rather than change a winning system. They will be big gaps to fill though and anyone who comes in will have to step up to fit straight in.

There’s a lot of confidence in the Villa squad right now, that’s evident in the results and performances of late. Hopefully we can bring all that into our toughest game of the new-year so far. We can get the three points if we turn up but Fulham will also be trying their best to extend their unbeaten run.

Next: Don't Sleep On Fulham

With only fifteen games to go it’s the sort of time where we need to build a gap on third, so it doesn’t go down to the wire. This game could be massive in the promotion run-in. I predict a draw but would love a win as all Villa fans would!