Marco Silva is hoping Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City will give his players “courage” against Aston Villa upon their return to Premier League action.
The Cottagers went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side before the international break but were made to rue missed opportunities during the contest, with Adama Traore the most notable for squandering some gilt-edged chances at the Etihad.
However, Silva is confident his team can take encouragement from their display as they aim to maintain their unbeaten record at Craven Cottage this season.
“To see City finish with three central defenders with five at the back shows that we were creating problems for them, not just in transition,” Silva said.
“It gives us courage. We know what we are capable of doing, and it gives us the confidence to keep going in the direction that we want to go in, and to stick with our philosophy as a team.
“Looking at the chances that we did create throughout the game and comparing with City, we deserved more. But that’s football.”
Unai Emery, meanwhile, insisted his Aston Villa side will be raring to go when they return to domestic action after their stalemate with Manchester United last time out.
It was the Villans’ first goalless draw at Villa Park in the Premier League since May 2021, while the expected goals (xG) total between the two sides was just 1.05 – the lowest in a top-flight match so far this season.
With the international break allowing Villa to recuperate after a busy September schedule that saw them start their Champions League campaign with two wins, returning players will be a welcome addition, the Spaniard believes.
“It’s a nice moment to rest. This week we are going to work and recover some players. We are going to add [Boubacar] Kamara and [Tyrone] Mings, which is very good news. Hopefully some injured players can come back for the next match against Fulham,” Emery said.
“We will need players. Today we were more or less with some players out and we needed fresh players with good legs in the second half to help get our objective in this match.
“The players were really focusing on this match and gave their best. I’m happy because we are feeling strong here with our supporters and keeping a good position in the league and Champions League targeting our objectives. We are going to try to get there.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Andreas Pereira
No player has played more passes (including crosses) into the opposition box than Fulham’s Pereira in the Premier League this season (64), with the Brazilian also creating the most chances from set plays (16).
Pereira has also created 23 chances overall this term (level with Cole Palmer and Dwight McNeil), a total only bettered by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (27) in the Premier League so far.
Aston Villa – Jhon Duran
After netting in midweek while on international duty with Colombia, Duran will be hoping to continue his remarkable scoring streak at Craven Cottage.
Duran has four goals in just 184 minutes of action in the Premier League this season, averaging a goal every 46 minutes so far. This is the best minutes-per-goal ratio of anyone to feature for at least 90 minutes this term.
MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN
Fulham are unbeaten in their three Premier League home games so far this season (W2 D1). They last had a longer run without defeat at Craven Cottage from the start of a campaign in 2011-12 (four).
The Cottagers lost this exact fixture 2-1 in February last season, though they have never lost consecutive home league games against Aston Villa before.
However, they face an uphill task against Emery’s men, who are unbeaten in their last five league games (W3 D2), though their 0-0 draw with United last time out was their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches.
Visits to London have proven fruitful for the Villans in recent years. They have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games in the capital (W8 D3). Their eight wins in this time (all under Emery) are as many as they’d managed in their previous 48 top-flight games in London.
Villa have also won five of their last six Premier League games against Fulham (L1), including the last three in a row. It’s more wins than they’d managed in their previous 19 against the Cottagers in the top-flight (W4 D10 L5), while they’ve never won four in a row against them in their league history.
No team has scored more goals from crosses than Aston Villa in the Premier League this season (five). No player has scored more such goals than Ollie Watkins (two), while Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have two such assists each – only Saka (four) has more.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 40.5%
Draw – 25.5%
Aston Villa – 34%
Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: Saka's late strike chalked off as Gunners held
Arsenal had a late goal disallowed as their winning run in the Premier League came to an end with a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Bukayo Saka seemed to have nodded home a winner in the 88th minute of Sunday’s contest at Craven Cottage.
However, the goal was overturned after a VAR review – Gabriel Martinelli having strayed offside before he delivered the cross – as Arsenal missed the chance to move within four points of leaders Liverpool, whose game against Everton was called off on Saturday.
VAR had earlier upheld Arsenal's equaliser, with William Saliba having turned in from Kai Havertz's header.
Fulham went ahead after 11 minutes, when Raul Jimenez drilled in to round off a swift counter-attack.
With Chelsea playing Tottenham later on Sunday, Arsenal climbed to second place on 29 points – six more than ninth-place Fulham.
Data Debrief: Gunners' struggles on the road continue
Now unbeaten in their last nine Premier League London derbies, Fulham are the only team to have avoided defeat against Arsenal in the competition since the start of last season.
The Gunners have now won just one of their last six league matches on the road, while failing to keep a clean sheet during that span.
Jimenez opened the scoring at Craven Cottage. All five of his goals this season have been the first of the game, with Dimitar Berbatov (nine in 2012-13) and Clint Dempsey (seven in 2011-12) the only Fulham players to net more openers in a single campaign.
The hosts' lead was cancelled out by Saliba's sixth Premier League goal from a set-piece since the start of last season, with team-mate Gabriel Magalhaes (10) the only defender to score more such goals during that span.
Reggae Boy Michail Antonio undergoes surgery after horror car crash
Jamaican international and West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is recovering after undergoing surgery on a lower limb fracture sustained in a horrific car crash on Saturday. The 34-year-old remains in a London hospital under close observation as he begins his recovery.
The football community was left in shock following the accident, which saw Antonio's Ferrari crushed in a woodland area near Theydon Bois, Essex. Images of the wrecked vehicle circulated widely, prompting an outpouring of concern and support from fans and fellow players.
In a statement released on Sunday, West Ham confirmed Antonio's surgery and expressed gratitude to those involved in his immediate care.
“West Ham United can confirm Michail Antonio has undergone surgery on a lower limb fracture following a road traffic accident on Saturday afternoon. Michail will continue to be monitored in hospital over the coming days," the statement read.
"Everyone at the Club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since yesterday’s news, as well as extending a heartfelt thank you to the emergency services and first responders who attended to Michail in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and the medical team who continue to aid him in his recovery. The Club will provide further updates when appropriate.”
Hours after the accident on Saturday, West Ham assured fans of Antonio's condition, stating he was "stable," "conscious," and communicating with medical staff.
The footballing world has since rallied around the player, with the Premier League issuing a statement of support: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Premier League are also with Antonio, his family, friends, and all at West Ham.”
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker paused the show to acknowledge the accident, while former teammate Jobi McAnuff shared his well wishes on social media, saying, "Thoughts and prayers to Michail's family."
Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts and Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren both offered words of encouragement to Antonio in the statement sent out by the federation on Saturday.
"On behalf of the entire group of players, support staff and technical staff, I would like to wish Michail a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with him at this time,” McClaren said.
“On behalf of the entire Jamaica Football Federation family, I would like to wish Michail a safe and speedy recovery. At this point let us keep him in our prayers as he recovers,” Ricketts added.
This incident is not Antonio’s first car-related mishap. On Christmas Day in 2019, he famously crashed his Lamborghini into a garden while dressed as a snowman. Despite these incidents, Antonio has remained a vital figure at West Ham since joining in 2015, amassing 323 appearances and scoring 83 goals. His contributions were pivotal in the club’s historic UEFA Conference League victory in 2023.
Khadija Shaw brace powers Manchester City to commanding 4-0 win over Leicester City in WSL
Jamaican forward Khadija "Bunny" Shaw delivered a stellar performance on Sunday, scoring twice as Manchester City Women cruised to a 4-0 victory over Leicester City in the Women’s Super League (WSL). Jess Park and Mary Fowler also found the net in a dominant display that underscored City’s title ambitions.
The win was a much-needed bounce-back for Gareth Taylor’s side, who were coming off a disappointing loss to Chelsea. The victory keeps Manchester City second in the WSL standings and reinforces their strong start to the season.
City wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Shaw finding the back of the net just two minutes into the match. Kerstin Casparij whipped in a pinpoint cross, and the Jamaican striker rose above the Leicester defense to head home from close range.
Shaw doubled her tally in the 22nd minute, this time benefiting from Leila Ouahabi’s precision delivery from the left flank. The goal capped an electrifying first-half performance from Shaw, who showcased her aerial prowess and clinical finishing.
Jess Park made it 3-0 early in the second half with a stunning strike from distance, leaving Leicester’s goalkeeper with no chance. Mary Fowler completed the scoring with a superb half-volley after a defensive miscue from Leicester, sealing a comprehensive victory for City.
Despite the emphatic win, there was a minor concern for City late in the game as midfielder Jill Roord required treatment for an apparent injury. Roord left the pitch as a precaution, and City finished the match with 10 players.
The result marks another chapter in Khadija Shaw’s sensational season, with the Reggae Girlz star continuing to cement her reputation as one of the league’s top strikers. Manchester City will look to carry this momentum into their next fixture as they push for WSL glory.
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