- Fulham cannot claw their way out of the bottom two, even if they record a first victory under Roy Hodgson.
- Without a win in 14 league and cup games.
- Gained four points in a 12-match winless Premier League sequence; the 3-1 victory over Reading on 3 November is their only maximum in 22 fixtures.
- Kept their first clean sheet in 14 Premier League outings in Tuesday's goalless draw at Bolton.
- The Premier League's joint draw specialists, with Liverpool; 10 of 24 have finished level.
- Won just two Premier League matches this season, both at home, against Bolton on 15 August and Reading on 3 November. Only bottom placed Derby have won fewer (one match).
- Gained one point out of a possible 12 under Roy Hodgson.
- Lost the lead in 11 Premier League matches, and flittered away an unequalled 25 points from winning positions. They held the lead against Arsenal (a), Middlesbrough (h), Aston Villa (a), Chelsea (h) and West Ham (a), and went on to lose all five games.
- Conceded 76% of their Premier League goals in the second half; 32 of 42.
- Lost the last two home league games against Chelsea and Arsenal, and not won in five at the Cottage since the victory over Reading on 3 November.
- A long trip to Middlesbrough follows this, before a London derby home to West Ham. Thereafter Manchester United will be hosted at the Cottage on 1 March.
- Clint DEMPSEY is Fulham's top scorer with six Premier League goals.
- If selected:-
- Steve DAVIS will be facing the club where he was a trainee. The 23 year old Northern Ireland international made 102 appearances (91 in the league) and scored nine goals (five league) for Villa before his move to Craven Cottage in July last year.
- Aaron HUGHES will also be facing a former club. The 28 year old Northern Ireland international defender made 64 appearances (54 in the league) in two years with the Midlanders before his £1m move to the Cottage in June last year.
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LAST CORRESPONDING FIXTURE
Craven Cottage on 03-Mar-2007
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|
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Bocanegra 23
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Carew 21
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Niemi, Rosenior, Pearce, Bocanegra, Queudrue, Smertin, Davies, Brown, Diop (Routledge, 64 ), Radzinski (Helguson, 71 ), McBride (John, 80)
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Dempsey,
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Sorensen, Bardsley, Mellberg, Laursen (Cahill, 56 ), Bouma, Maloney (Agbonlahor, 67 ), Petrov, McCann, Barry, Carew, Young
Subs not used Taylor, Davis, Hughes,
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Yellow card:
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Yellow card:
Carew,
McCann |
| Red card: |
Red card:
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Attendance:
24552 |
Referee:
Lee Mason (Lancashire) |
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- Drawn the last two Premier League matches, against Liverpool (2-2, away) and Blackburn (1-1, home).
- Unbeaten in eight league games; won three and drawn five since losing 1-3, home to Portsmouth on 8 December.
- Only beaten once in the last nine in all competitions; 0-2, home to Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup.
- Completed 19 league matches since failing to score; the 1-0 away defeat to Manchester City on 16 September being the most recent occasion. Only missed the target twice in this league campaign; the goalless draw at Newcastle on 18 August being the other occasion.
- Notched as many league victories as managed in the whole of last season (11).
- The fourth highest scorers in the Premier League with 43 goals; only Arsenal (49), Manchester United (48) and Tottenham (44) have netted more. Also the second highest second half scorers with 28 goals, two fewer than Arsenal.
- One of two clubs beaten only once on their Premier League travels. The other is Arsenal.
- Not beaten in nine away league games; won four and drawn five since a 1-0 loss against Manchester City at Eastlands on 16 September.
- Scored more goals on the road in the Premier League than any other club (23).
- A home fixture against Newcastle follows this, before visits to Reading and Arsenal.
- Gabriel AGBONLAHOR is Aston Villa's leading scorer, with seven Premier League goals.
- Villa are the only club with as many as four players to have figured in at least a part of every one of their Premier League games this season; AGBONLAHOR, Wilfred BOUMA, Martin LAURSEN and Ashley YOUNG.
- If selected:-
- Stilian PETROV will be making his 50th Premier League appearance for Aston Villa.
- Zat KNIGHT will be facing a former club. The 27 year old England international defender made 181 appearances (150 in the league) and scored four goals (three league) from the outset of his professional career until his £3.5m move to Villa Park last August.
- If on the field from the outset:-
- Martin LAURSEN will be making his 50th Premier League start for the Villans.
- Suspended:-
- YOUNG (one match)
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| HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS |
|
FULHAM |
Draw |
VILLA |
| League |
15 |
16 |
16 |
| Premier |
1 |
6 |
6 |
| HEAD TO HEAD at FULHAM |
|
FULHAM |
Draw |
VILLA |
| League |
11 |
9 |
3 |
| Premier |
1 |
4 |
1 |
|