Losing 3-0 to Crystal Palace in the other FA Cup semi-final will have hurt Villa badly, and it came just four days after Man City’s sucker-punch late winner against them at the Etihad Stadium. Unai Emery’s side are now on the verge of missing their targets for the season.
Aston Villa will qualify for the UCL if they win all 4 of their remaining matches
But there is still time to end on a high, and there is no doubt Emery will have spent the week motivating his players for one final push because, odds are, Villa will qualify for the UEFA Champions League places if they win all four of their remaining Premier League matches.
And they definitely could. They travel to AFC Bournemouth, who have won just two of their last 12 matches in all competitions, before hosting Tottenham Hotspur and visiting Manchester United, two teams either distracted by the Europa League or with nothing to play for.
Before that comes the hardest of the lot
Fulham has been a tough team to beat this season as The Cottagers have been impressive in phases and have not allowed any team run through. Giving the big teams a run for their money and win, Fulham has been a highly unpredictable team.
Marco Silva sits 8th at the table and would be hoping to beat Villa as they are the closest to them with a six point gap. If they manage to beat Villa, the gap would only sit at 3 points which can be overturned in just another matchday.
Villa have won six of their last seven Premier League matches against Fulham
Villa have won six of their last seven Premier League matches against Fulham, but it’s difficult to predict what sort of mood Emery’s men will be in after the events at Wembley.
They are also without Marcus Rashford, putting pressure onto Ollie Watkins, who has demanded more game time and now has a chance to prove why he deserves it.
