Aston Villa Vs Fulham: Opportunity To Set A Record 40 Years Ago At Villa Park

Aston Villa's players are chasing a winning record like 40 years ago. (photo: Twitter @AVFCOfficial)

Aston Villa had a golden opportunity to match the club's 40-year record when they hosted Fulham at Villa Park Stadium in a Premier League match on Sunday 12 November.

Unai Emery's men had the opportunity to win 13 home games in a row in the league, something they haven't achieved since 1983.

Victory was Emery's top priority, especially after his team suffered a surprising defeat at Nottingham Forest headquarters last week, which saw them fail to reach the top four.

The defeat ended Villa's six-match unbeaten streak in the league, but Liverpool and Arsenal can still be chased, only two points clear of Villa ahead of the weekend.

Villa need positive results from Brentford or Burnley to beat the two teams if they want to enter the international break by being in the top four. However, the hosts are believed to be able to do it themselves given their performance at Villa Park this season.

Only Everton has been able to win here since mid-February in various competitions, and Villa is perfect in the Premier League with five wins from five games, scoring 20 goals.

Even so, Villa's defense is fairly vulnerable to just two clean sheets in the last 13 matches, which they have won against Chelsea and Zrinjski Mostar.

Midfielder Diego Carlos is doubtful of appearing for Aston Villa after being sent off with a minor injury in Europa League's win against AZ on Thursday, November 9. Meanwhile, recovered left-back Alex Moreno has been waiting for his first game since experiencing serious hamstring problems in May.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo Muniz is expected to be out for several weeks for Fulham after suffering a knee injury in last weekend's game against Manchester United. Tosin Adarbioyo, Kenny Tete, and Adama Traore may be returning to the squad, although it is likely not to start.

Di sisi lain, Fulham yang akan menjadi lawan Villa, tampil kurang produktif di lini serang dengan lima kali gagal mencetak gol musim ini. Kekalahan 1-0 di kandang dari Manchester United pekan lalu membuat mereka berada di posisi 15, enam poin di atas zona relegasi.

Manager Marco Silva is still looking for a solution after Aleksandar Mitrovic's departure, with Joao Palhinha and Bobby Decordova-Reid being Fulham's top scorers with two goals each.

In this meeting, Villa couldn't rely on Diego Carlos who was injured, while Fulham lost Issa Diop and Tosin Adarbioyo. This match became an opportunity for Villa to set a proud home record and keep their hopes at the top of the table.

This weekend's game will be a tough test for Fulham as they face one of the teams in the best form in the league, Aston Villa, who are looking for their 13th straight win at Villa Park. Although number 13 is considered unlucky by some, it could be bad luck for Fulham.

One player who definitely feels unlucky is Rodrigo Muniz. Fulham manager Marco Silva announced that the Brazilian will be out for three to four weeks after suffering an injury last week. It's still a question who will replace him on the front lines.

In the match against Manchester United, Fulham's midfield composition is a bit different. Silva had to decide whether Lukic or Reed would return to play alongside Joao Palhinha, or whether Iwobi would continue his role. After all, this Nigerian international midfielder must remain in the starting XI.

Elsewhere, Kenny Tete was seen training this week and Silva signaled he might be in the squad, but it is doubtful whether he will replace Castagne, who performed impressively during Tete's absence. As good news, Silva also said that Adama and Tosin might also be back soon.

This is the final game before the international break again. In addition to the trip to Anfield and St. James' Park, Fulham's schedule for matches in December looks more friendly - but the pressure to collect some very big points, or the picture of this season could change significantly.