Premier League: A Duo Who Deserve All The Plaudits

Fulham vs Aston Villa

This is a Premier League match-up between two sides who have made great strides in recent years.

Let’s not forget it is only six years since Fulham and Aston Villa contested the Championship play-off final (a match Fulham won).

And while both clubs have had ups and downs since then (particularly the west Londoners), there is no doubt they are both now thriving and very much at home in the top flight of English football.

So much so that, over the past two seasons, they have created a series of Premier League highlights to delight their followers and make opponents with much bigger resources sit up and take notice.

Against that backdrop, it is easy to see why this Saturday afternoon clash by the Thames is one worth getting excited about.

Talking Points

Villa come into the back of this one after two impressive results on home soil.

The 1-0 victory against Bayern Munich in the Champions League – in a re-run of the 1982 European Cup Final – was a night which will live long in the club’s history.

They followed that up four days later by holding Manchester United to a goalless draw, highlighting how far they have come in not quite two years under Unai Emery.

The question now being asked is how can they continue to juggle domestic and European commitments amidst a heavy schedule.

Aston Villa are ready to take on Fulham in their Premier League match at Craven Cottage this weekend — Aston Villa boss Unai Emery leads his players against Manchester United in the Premier League

How Fulham (and a number of other clubs) would wish they had such a dilemma to wrestle with, although, like their opponents this weekend, they have continued to make tangible progress under the astute Marco Silva.

Despite losing key men in successive summers, the Cottagers have recruited well and will continue to prove a tricky opponent for most sides.

They should also avoid getting drawn into any relegation fight, even though they probably lack the strength in depth to push for a European berth at this time.

Last time out they pushed champions Manchester City all the way and, but for a combination of good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing, would have returned home with something to show for their efforts.

Indeed, Silva has successfully redesigned his team after losing his key midfielder João Palhinha who was swooped up by Bayern Munich at the second time of asking.

Adding to the challenges, they have not had a reliable goalscorer since Aleksandar Mitrovic’s departure a year earlier and also lost several first-team players in the past transfer window.

Yet early results have dispelled concerns of a decline with the former Crystal Palace centre-back Joachim Andersen a linchpin in the system revamp.

The Dane has transformed Fulham’s buildup play, using his passing range to pick out Alex Iwobi, Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore with long diagonals. His technical prowess also ensures the opposition rarely disrupts the new high line.

History

Historically, this is a match-up which is as close as you can get.

Villa have 28 wins to Fulham’s 26 victories with a further 22 draws.

Their very first clash came in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March 1905, a tie Villa won 5-0 at Villa Park.

The scorers that day were Joe Bache, Harry Hampton (two), Albert Hall and Joe Pearson

At Craven Cottage two years ago, Harrison Reed, Mitrovic and an own goal sealed a 3-0 success for the Cottagers and prompted Villa bosses to fire Steven Gerrard and hire Emery.

Arguably, their most high-profile meeting was the 2018 Championship Play-Off final at Wembley when Tom Cairney scored the only goal to earn promotion for Fulham.

Villa enjoyed a league double last term on their way to sealing a fourth placed finish.

They won this fixture 3-1 when an own goal, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins put the home side into an unassailable lead before Fulham added a consolation through Raul Jimenez.

It was closer at Craven Cottage but again Villa came through with a Watkins double before Rodrigo Muniz halved their lead.