Fulham's Marco Silva Believes The Best Is Yet To Come As Season Progresses

Add as a preferred source on Google

Marco Silva is optimistic about Fulham's prospects as they aim to end the Premier League season strongly, starting with their match against Aston Villa. Fulham are vying for a European spot, currently in eighth place with 51 points, slightly ahead of Brighton and Bournemouth in the Europa Conference League race.

Fulham recently bounced back from consecutive losses to Bournemouth and Chelsea by securing a late win against Southampton. Ryan Sessegnon scored a stoppage-time goal to clinch a 2-1 victory. Silva reflected on Fulham's achievements this season, including reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals, but remains determined to push the club further.

"I'm very, very ambitious," Silva stated on the Fulham Fix podcast. "I'm never satisfied. When you get good results or [reach] the final stages of competitions, my mindset is to look for more. It's the way in football, it's my way." He believes that despite their accomplishments over four seasons, better things lie ahead.

Aston Villa are also striving for success as they pursue a Champions League spot. They sit seventh with 57 points, just three behind fifth-placed Chelsea. Their five-game winning streak ended with a 2-1 loss to Manchester City, followed by a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final.

Unai Emery expressed his disappointment with recent results but remains focused on achieving Champions League qualification through the Premier League. "How we are getting the objective [Champions League qualification] through the Premier League is most important," Emery said. He praised his players' ambition and progress over two years.

Ollie Watkins has been crucial for Villa this season, scoring 13 out of his 15 Premier League goals either to put Villa ahead or draw them level. This accounts for 87% of his goals this term, making him a key player to watch.

Key Players

Ryan Sessegnon has also been impressive for Fulham. Among players with at least 400 minutes in the Premier League this season, only Mohamed Salah averages a goal or assist more frequently than Sessegnon (69 minutes per goal/assist).

Aston Villa have dominated recent encounters against Fulham, winning six of their last seven Premier League meetings. The exception was a 3-0 away defeat in October 2022. Villa have been strong at home too, unbeaten in their last 16 top-flight matches since losing to Arsenal earlier this season.

Match Prediction

The Opta win probability suggests Aston Villa have a 52% chance of winning against Fulham, while a draw stands at 23.7%, and Fulham's chances are at 24.3%. Despite their recent form, Villa's home advantage could prove decisive in this encounter.

Fulham have not drawn any of their last 14 league games (winning seven and losing seven). Their recent victories include triumphs over Liverpool and Southampton. However, history favours Villa as they have won their last five home league games against Fulham since April 2014.