Aston Villa head take on Fulham on Saturday afternoon looking to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Unai Emery’s side have bounced back well this season, with a win immediately following each of their five defeats before the loss to United.
With Villa yet to lose back-to-back games, the travelling support should head to West London in a confident mood.
The defeat to Manchester United wasn’t a poor performance. As per FotMob, Villa had more possession and created an xG (expected goals) of 2.43 compared to United’s 1.79.
Furthermore, the home side managed seven more shots and five more on target than Erik ten Hag’s.
On another day, the result could have been entirely different.
Villa’s performance level is still extremely high, which means anything less than three points on Saturday will disappoint.
Pau Torres set for first 2024 Aston Villa start
£33million signing Pau Torres could be set for his first start of 2024.
According to The Express and Star, the Spaniard has been sidelined with an ankle problem but could return for Villa’s clash against Marco Silva’s side.
This will be a welcome return for Emery, who recently saw his squad ravaged by injury.
Influential midfielder Boubacar Kamara has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury after he went down during the loss to Manchester United.
Defensive duo Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa are also sidelined. The Brazilian went down in training with a hamstring issue, and Konsa sprained his knee during the 5-0 win over Sheffield United.
One massive positive is the return of Tyrone Mings, who has returned to training after injuring his knee in Villa’s opening game of the 2023/24 season.
If Mings can return to partner Torres, Villa’s Champions League ambitions could remain on track.
However, Emery could be forced to call upon Calum Chambers for the trip to West London. The former Arsenal defender has been a forgotten man at Villa Park, making just one start this season.
The 29-year-old was told he could depart the club during the latter stages of the January window; however, he could now play a vital role over the next few weeks.
