The reverse fixture between these sides earlier in the season was an entertaining game, which finished 3-1 to the hosts at Villa Park.

Raul Jimenez opened the scoring after just three minutes, before Ollie Watkins equalised before half-time. It took just 49 minutes for this selection to land as John McGinn then got himself on the scoresheet, and this bet also landed when these sides last met at Craven Cottage. 

Fulham currently sit 12th in the league standings with 45 points, putting them just three points behind Chelsea in seventh. Just five matches are remaining this season in the Premier League, so three points here could go a long way.

Fulham have every reason to be front-footed in their approach in search of the three points, but that could play into Villa’s hands by creating space on the break. Unai Emery’s men can be devastating on the counter, and they put four goals past Sunderland last time out.

Villa have shown vulnerabilities at the back recently, and Sunderland scored three times against them.

They really could have bagged more, and Regis Le Bris’ men were unfortunate to leave Villa Park empty-handed in the end - Emi Martinez recorded four saves, including one to deny Habib Diarra, who was completely through on goal. The Argentine international has had his fair share of injury concerns this season, but he makes a real difference for Villa when he starts, and he should be available for this fixture. 

He can expect to be kept busy again here at Craven Cottage, given how Fulham are averaging 14.55 shots per game on home turf across all competitions this campaign. They have forced at least three saves from the opposing goalkeeper in six of their last eight matches, which shows how dangerous they can be going forward. 

Harry Wilson will be one of those Fulham players hoping to cause problems in the final third, and the Welshman has been one of the top performers for his side once again.

Wilson has contributed to 18 goals across all competitions this season, which is more than any other Fulham player, with 11 goals and seven assists under his belt. He ranks second for total shots, only behind Raul Jimenez, although Wilson has been more efficient, so he ranks higher for shots on target. 

Wilson is averaging 2.57 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, rising to 3.17 when playing at Craven Cottage, where he has landed this selection in nine out of 14 starts overall. He has also scored in six of his last eight starts in front of a home crowd, highlighting how he plays with more confidence in the final third at home.

Morgan Rogers has been one of Villa's most energetic and physically demanding players, pressing relentlessly from the front and looking to win the ball back high up the field.

He recorded two infringements in the reverse fixture back in September and was fortunate to escape a booking. However, he had less luck on his last visit to Craven Cottage - once again, Rogers recorded two fouls, but this time he was shown a yellow card. 

Rogers is averaging 1.29 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and has racked up a total of 57 infringements. He has recorded at least one infringement in each of his last five matches and in nine of his last ten starts.

He has been a key cog in the Unai Emery system this season, not only for his contributions in the final third, but also for his defensive work rate.

Ollie Watkins comes into this clash following a stellar week, having just scored a brace against Sunderland last time out to help his side to a 4-3 win.

He also contributed heavily to Aston Villa’s 7-1 aggregate win over Bologna in the Europa League, with two goals in the first leg, and one in the second at Villa Park. Because of that, Watkins became the club's all-time top European goalscorer, so he should come into this clash feeling positive. 

With 15 goals and three assists from 47 appearances across all competitions this season, it hasn’t been the best season for Watkins, at least not by his high standards, but his recent form has been excellent.

He has seven goals and two assists in his last eight appearances alone, and he will hope to keep this run going this weekend, especially considering he scored in the reverse fixture.

Watkins is always looking to cause problems for his opposing central backs, and he can be a real difficult player to contain. Calvin Bassey will know all about that - the Nigerian international was booked for his only foul in the reverse fixture.

Interestingly, Bassey was also shown a yellow card in both meetings against Aston Villa last season, as well, which shows how he has struggled massively in this matchup. He is averaging 1.01 fouls per 90 from his 27 appearances across all competitions this season, which has translated to five yellows. 

He can sometimes be caught out of position and forced into cynical fouls, and Aston Villa excel at pulling their opponents out to open up space in behind. Bassey has been carded in two of his last three starts on home turf, and has accrued a total of five fouls in that time.

Berge has been a consistent presence in Fulham's midfield throughout the season, and he looks set for a return to the midfield after being rested against Brentford. Berge is responsible for doing much of the dirty work in midfield, which allows the more creative players around him to flourish. 

He is averaging 1.04 fouls per 90 in the Premier League this season, rising marginally to 1.14 when playing at home, where he has registered at least one foul in 11 of his last 12 starts. That includes three bookings in that time, which shows how combative he can be. 

The Norwegian international could be in for a tough afternoon against Aston Villa this weekend, considering they rank top of the charts for total fouls drawn in the league this season. They can be a difficult team to contain, especially in midfield areas, and Berge should be kept busy on the defensive end.