We get Thursday afternoon Premier League tomorrow, as the Villans head to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham. I wanted to break this game down because I find both teams pretty interesting right now, and I like one side a lot in the match. Let’s start with Fulham, who have had a strong start to their Premier League campaign.
They sit 12th in the table on 12 points, which is a success for a newly promoted side. They are led by striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who leads the team with 7 goals. That’s 4th in the EPL, which is impressive relative to his last try in the first division. They are managed by Marco Silva, who is no stranger to the Premier League.
His teams definitely play an attacking brand of soccer, and this team is no different. However, his teams also leak goals at the back. Through only 10 matches mind you, but Fulham have the worst defense in the Premier League. They are conceding 2.15 NPxGA/90, which is just horrendous. I like their attack, but I expect them to drop right above the drop zone at the end of the season. You can’t land mid-table with these numbers.
Aston Villa on the other hand were expected to land in the top 10 this season, and be an above average side. Boy, have their underachieved that mark through 10 matches. They sit 17th in the table, and are only out of relegation due to goal differential. 9 points in 10 matches just isn’t good enough for the quality that this side possesses. And because of that, Liverpool legend and now manager of the Villans Steven Gerrard is on the hot seat a bit.