Premier League Preview: Aston Villa - Fulham


The hosts have tasted victory just twice in their last nine games at Villa Park and face a Cottagers outfit impressive on the road of late despite last week's Newcastle defeat.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will hope to name an unchanged lineup to the side that saw off Stoke City last weekend for another crucial clash against Fulham on Saturday.

Gabby Agbonlahor is expected to shake off a thigh problem to retain his place, but defender Ciaran Clark is likely to remain sidelined due to a shoulder injury.

Martin Jol is sweating on the fitness of on-loan midfielder Eyong Enoh for the trip to Villa Park, while Mahamadou Diarra and Ashkan Dejagah will definitely miss out through injury.

The Cottagers are also without midfielder Steve Sidwell, who is suspended, but Croatian forward Mladen Petric is nearing a return from the thigh injury which has kept him out since February.
  • Aston Villa has won just two of its last nine league games at Villa Park.
  • Only QPR has scored less goals (15) than Aston Villa (12) has at home this season.
  • Just Reading (31) and Wigan (32) have conceded more goals at home than the Villans (24) in the league.
  • Belgium international striker Christian Benteke (pictured right) has struck 15 league goals so far this season and is the Premier League’s joint-fifth top goal scorer.
  • Fulham was on a three-match unbeaten run away from home prior to last week's last-gasp defeat to Newcastle.
  • The Cottagers have won by a one-goal margin on seven occasions this season and lost by the same margin on eight occasions - their highest total for both.
  • Martin Jol's men are a staggering 13 points off their season tally from the 2011-12 campaign as things stand but are also just one position away from where the club finished last season - ninth.

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