Favorite opponent visits Villa Park
The race in the English top flight for the coveted spots in Europe’s premier club competition remains tight and exciting. Aston Villa has the worst cards of all the teams still in contention for a Champions League spot after their away defeat at Manchester City. That means the Birmingham team is under pressure ahead of the 35th matchday. It would therefore be helpful for the Villans if Aston Villa were to win at home against Fulham.
The Villans’ next opponent, who are having a surprisingly good season in the English top flight, are also dreaming of European competition. Ahead of the 35th matchday, the Cottagers are in eighth place in the Premier League. This will not be enough to qualify for the Champions League, of course, but qualifying for the Europa or Conference League is a realistic goal for Marco Silva’s team.
Especially if Aston Villa’s prediction of a point for the Londoners against Fulham proves to be correct. However, despite the visitors’ strength this year, we believe the home team has a much better chance of winning and therefore agree with the Aston Villa vs. Fulham odds from the bookmakers.
Aston Villa vs. Fulham AI prediction
In the Aston Villa vs. Fulham AI prediction, our AI lady BETSiE calculates the probability of a win to be a full ten percentage points below the probability implied by the bookmakers’ odds. According to artificial intelligence, therefore, value lies in betting on an unbeaten result for the visitors.
Just like us, the Aston Villa vs. Fulham AI prediction expects both teams to score at Villa Park this Saturday. While the hosts from Birmingham have an xG value of 1.40, the xG value of the visitors from London is also above one (1.01), albeit only just.
England Aston Villa – Statistics & current form
There have been some big European nights at Villa Park in Birmingham this season. Unay Emery’s strong home side have defeated Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, among others, in the Champions League. Nevertheless, their run came to an end in the quarter-finals against the French champions. However, the second-largest city in the United Kingdom has acquired a taste for top-level European football, which is why it is aiming to qualify for the Champions League again.
Above all, their strong home record in the domestic league is allowing the Villans to dream of only their second Champions League appearance in the club’s history. In 17 home games, they have suffered just one defeat this season, a feat only matched by the upcoming champions Liverpool FC (9-7-1). It’s no surprise, then, that the odds for Aston Villa against Fulham are in favor of the home side. With a €11 free bet for new and existing customers at Interwetten, you can place a bet on a home win with little risk.
Next home win for Aston Villa?
Aston Villa have also won their last four games against the Cottagers, which proves who is currently the stronger team. The last three home games at Villa Park against Fulham have also all been successful. That’s why our Aston Villa vs. Fulham prediction is for another home win over the Cottagers this Saturday.
The current form at Villa Park also supports our assessment. Emery’s team has won each of its last three home games. In addition to bottom-of-the-table Southampton, they faced the strong teams from Newcastle and Nottingham this season. No one expected the last home win against Newcastle to be so clear-cut (final score 4-1). That’s why it’s likely to be very difficult for their upcoming opponents Fulham to score in Birmingham.
Fulham – Statistics & current form
Fulham picked up important points on the last matchday. The Cottagers came from behind to win 2-1 at bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Silva’s side thus underlined their European ambitions. However, it is unlikely to be as easy to pick up points on the next matchday as it was against the struggling Southampton.
The away game at Villa Park is a completely different proposition. And in their last few games against opponents of a similar caliber, the Cottagers have suffered defeats. They have lost three of their last five games, although, as mentioned, those defeats came against top teams Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
Will Fulham surprise at Villa Park?
The recent record against the Villans is not particularly encouraging either, which is why our Aston Villa vs. Fulham tip suggests a fifth consecutive defeat against the Birmingham team in the English Premier League. But that’s not the only reason we’re skeptical about the Londoners picking up any points, and we’re putting our Bet365 welcome bonus on a home win instead.
Fulham have been a tough opponent away from home this season, losing only six of their 17 away games. However, half of those defeats came in their last five away games. And even their win at bottom-of-the-table Southampton was far from convincing. That’s why our Aston Villa vs. Fulham prediction is leaning towards a home win for the hosts, who are in brilliant form.
Aston Villa – Fulham Head-to-head record / H2H record
A total of 75 matches between the two clubs are recorded in the annals of English football. And the overall record is fairly even. Aston Villa have won 28 games, Fulham 26, and there have been 22 draws. However, in matches in the English top flight, “The Cottagers” have mostly been welcome guests at Villa Park.
In 26 Premier League games in Birmingham, Aston Villa have won 16 and lost only three (16-7-3). Consequently, the betting odds for Aston Villa against Fulham for this Saturday are once again in favor of the home team.
Aston Villa – Fulham Tip
For the second time since the introduction of the Champions League, Aston Villa could qualify for Europe’s premier club competition. After finishing fourth last season, the Birmingham club could benefit from the fact that there could be five English teams in the Champions League next season – and could therefore qualify even if they “only” finish fifth in the table at the end of the season.
However, there is still a long way to go, with Unay Emery’s team currently in seventh place. Above all, the Villans’ home strength should pave the way for them. In our Aston Villa vs. Fulham tip, we give the hosts a good chance of winning the game and taking a step towards Champions League qualification.
However, the Cottagers are also still dreaming of Europe. Just like Aston Villa, Fulham could benefit from the fact that, under certain circumstances, half of the Premier League will be represented in European competitions next season. Even if we don’t believe Silva’s team will get a point, a goal for the Cottagers in their away game in Birmingham seems absolutely realistic.
Fulham have only failed to score in two away games, while Aston Villa have kept a clean sheet at home on the same number of occasions. An interesting bet for Aston Villa vs. Fulham would therefore be that both teams score. A slightly riskier bet would be that both teams score and the Villans still win the game. In any case, we would not rule out a high-scoring game on Saturday.