Match Preview
Aston Villa vrs Fulham
Premiership Match Day 06 25/26 at Villa Park
Sunday 28th September 2025 KO: 14:00
Referee:
Andy Madley (West Yorkshire)
Live on SkySports
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Fulham head to Villa Park for a Premier League clash on Sunday looking for a third successive victory and their first away win of the season while Aston Villa are looking to record their first top-flight victory of the season at the sixth attempt.
Following back-to-back campaigns of comfortable midtable finishes, Fulham are on a mission to reach Aston Villa's level in some sense and qualify for European competition, with Sunday afternoon's visitors enjoying a homely start to the 2025-26 season.
Five of the Cottagers' opening seven competitive fixtures of the season have been played at their Craven Cottage home, with Marco Silva's men going through their West London schedule unbeaten so far, a run which includes a 1-0 EFL Cup success over League Two Cambridge United on Tuesday night.
Collecting seven points from three top-flight matches at Craven Cottage has allowed Fulham to rise up to a commendable eighth spot after five matches of the term, just two points back from Arsenal, who are the closest challengers to title favourites Liverpool.
After three straight wins on home soil, the Cottagers are looking to secure a four-game winning run for the first time since January 2023, when Crystal Palace, Southampton, Leicester City and FA cup opponents Hull City were all bested either side of the New Year.
Silva's side are part of the 10-team contingent who are yet to earn an away victory in the Premier League this season, with Fulham's sole defeat across seven matches so far coming at the Stamford Bridge home of Chelsea in late August, when Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez found the net for the Club World Cup winners.
After reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season on their return to the top level of UEFA club competition, Aston Villa were expected to be competing at the top end of the Premier League this term, however their start has left a lot to be desired.
The out-of-form Villans extended their winless run in the top flight to a highly-concerning five matches last Sunday afternoon, when they were unable to defeat 10-man Sunderland, who found an equaliser late on through Wilson Isidor following Matty Cash's opener.
Once again failing to strike a maximum at the Stadium of Light last time out in the Premier League, Unai Emery's troops are currently occupying 18th spot in the top-flight standings, joining Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers as the only two teams in the division yet to enjoy victory.
A welcome distraction from the stress of domestic action, Villa commenced their quest for Europa League glory on Thursday night and collected their maiden success of 2025-26 at the seventh attempt, with a first-half screamer from John McGinn enough for a triumph over Serie A visitors Bologna.
Arriving off the bench in the Second City earlier this week and seeing a tame penalty effort saved by Polish shot-stopper Lukasz Skorupski, England international Ollie Watkins is experiencing a severe goal drought, yet to score in seven appearances so far this campaign.
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Fulham have won just one of their last 21 away league games at Aston Villa (D7 L13), losing their last six in a row since a 2-1 win in April 2014.
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Aston Villa have won seven of their last eight Premier League meetings with Fulham, including their last five in a row since a 3-0 defeat in October 2022. The Villans last won six successive league meetings against any side when doing so versus rivals Birmingham City from October 2005 to April 2010.
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Fulham have won their last two Premier League matches, beating Leeds and Brentford. The Cottagers are looking for three consecutive wins for the first time since December and January in the 2022-23 season, with this their ninth run of back-to-back wins since then.
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Marco Silva has lost six of his seven Premier League matches against Aston Villa (L1 with Everton, W1 L5 with Fulham). This is the highest loss percentage (86%) of any manager to face Villa five or more times in the competition.
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Since the start of last season, only three Premier League players have made more line-breaking passes behind the defensive line than Fulham’s Alex Iwobi (61). This season, only Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch (4) has created more chances from a line-breaking pass than Iwobi (3).
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Rodrigo Muniz is averaging a goal or assist every 136 minutes in the Premier League for Fulham (18 goals, 3 assists in 2,866 minutes). Among players to play 1,000+ minutes for them, only Erik Nevland (every 123 mins) has done so at a more frequent rate than Muniz.
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Aston Villa have failed to score in each of their last two home Premier League matches, last going three without a goal at Villa Park in January 2015. Villa last failed to score in their first three home league games in a season in 1969-70 in the second tier, while in the top-flight they last did so in 1946-47.
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Aston Villa scored their first Premier League goal of the season last time out, but still drew 1-1 with Sunderland and have won none of their five games in 2025-26 (D3 L2). It’s the fourth time they’ve won none of their opening five league games, after 1919-20 (first seven), 1964-65 (seven) and 1969-70 (nine).
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Aston Villa are averaging just 2.4 shots on target per game in the Premier League this season, a drop from 4.5 per game in 2024-25. It’s their lowest average in a season on record since 1997-98.
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Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has failed to score in his last seven Premier League appearances, his longest run without scoring since going eight games between April and August 2024. His per 90 minute data for shots (1.6), shots on target (0.4) and xG (0.22) are all his lowest in a single top-flight season.
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Source Carter White at SportsMole/BBCSports