Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Premier League match.
Bookmakers see the teams as fairly evenly matched, yet the odds favour the hosts despite their lower position in the table. Perhaps their audacious performance against Manchester City left an impression.
Fulham
At the Etihad, the team played with attacking aggression. They had fewer shots but were more dangerous: 20 (7) shots — 11 (4) shots in favour of Manchester City, but the xG tilted towards the Londoners (2.60-1.57). And what a stunning goal from Andreas Pereira, assisted by a backheel from Raúl Jiménez! Undoubtedly one of the top five goals of the round. Their eighth place in the league is well-earned.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa narrowly missed out against Manchester United (0:0). André Onana was in inspired form that evening. Once again, Manchester United can blame bad luck, as they failed to score. On the plus side, this match marked Aston Villa's second clean sheet. The game against Manchester United was a rare exception (2 out of 7), where Aston Villa couldn't exceed their potential scoring chances.
Fulham vs Aston Villa Prediction
In their last six head-to-head encounters, the total over 2.5 was achieved five times. Both teams have scoring prowess: Fulham failed to score just once in seven matches, while Aston Villa did so twice. It's worth considering the same bet, especially given the attractive odds.
