Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the fixtures of Matchday 35 in the English Premier League is set for Saturday at Villa Park, where the local side Aston Villa will host Fulham. I’m backing a bet on goals in this clash, with strong odds for success.
Match preview
Liverpool have already secured the title and booked their ticket to the Champions League, while Arsenal are just a step away from a similar triumph. But for the remaining three elite European spots, the battle is raging — no fewer than five contenders are locked in a fierce fight.
Aston Villa find themselves in the toughest starting position, trailing the coveted top five by four points. Unai Emery’s side complicated their own task by slipping up in the previous round against Manchester City (1-2). Not long ago, the Birmingham club were riding a wave of form, stringing together five consecutive Premier League wins and making a serious statement of intent.
In the last round, Fulham clawed out an away win over Southampton by the skin of their teeth — the decisive goal came after regulation time had expired. That gritty victory snapped a two-game losing streak in the Premier League, following back-to-back defeats to Bournemouth (0-1) and Chelsea (1-2).
Here’s an intriguing detail: Marco Silva’s men have gone 14 straight Premier League matches without a single draw — it’s been win or lose, with seven results each way. The Londoners are currently eighth, and while there’s still a six-point gap to the European places, their mathematical chances of cracking the top seven remain alive.
Probable line-ups
- Aston Villa: Emiliano Martínez – Lucas Digne, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres – Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey, Amadou Onana – Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers
- Fulham: Bernd Leno – Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, Kenny Tete – Sander Berge, Andreas Pereira, Ryan Sessegnon, Ryan Sessegnon – Alex Iwobi, Willian, Raúl Jiménez
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the reverse fixture, Aston Villa beat the Cottagers 3-1 away
- Both teams to score has landed in the last three meetings between these sides
- The over 2.5 goals bet has won in three of their last five encounters
Prediction
Both teams come into the match highly motivated, so expect an entertaining and attacking contest. The Cottagers almost always find the net on the road — only twice have they failed to score away from home. Our bet for this match: Both teams to score at odds of 1.72.
