Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Fri 24 April 2026 19:10, UK

Aston Villa will aim to keep their Champions League push firmly on course on Saturday when they travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham, where Ollie Watkins is set for a starring role.

With only a handful of games remaining, Unai Emery’s side require just six points from a possible 15 to seal a return to Europe’s elite competition.

Yet, as the Spaniard has repeatedly stressed, the task is far from complete.

Villa head to west London in impressive form, having recorded three wins and a draw across their Premier League and European fixtures since the international break.

As they seek to extend that run against the Cottagers, Emery will once again look to Ollie Watkins to provide the cutting edge.

Ollie Watkins has re-emerged for Aston Villa

It has been a difficult season for Watkins, unquestionably his toughest since arriving from Brentford in 2020.

Yet in recent weeks, he has re-emerged as a talismanic figure for Villa, prompting team-mate Amadou Onana to hit back at his critics and describe the forward as “massive.”

And heading into Saturday’s clash on the banks of the Thames, Watkins’ incredible record against Fulham points in the direction of the striker once again proving valuable amid the Champions League push.

In nine Premier League appearances against the Whites, the 30-year-old has scored six times, having only scored more against Brighton (nine) and Arsenal (seven).

Alongside this, his record stretches further, having scored and laid on an assist during Brentford’s 3-1 win against their local rivals in 2017, back when Watkins operated out on the right flank under Dean Smith.

With five goals in his last four since returning from the international break, Emery will be looking to the versatile forward once again to make the difference in the final third.

Unai Emery has remarkable record vs Fulham

It is not just Watkins who has plagued Fulham in claret and blue.

In recent years, Aston Villa have absolutely had Fulham’s number in the league, with six wins in a row.

All of these have came since Emery’s move in 2022, with the most recent loss coincidentally being the match that prompted Steven Gerrards’s sacking.

As fans know, the rest is history from that moment.

And it is not just Villa who have reaped the rewards either.

Across his career, the Spaniard has took charge of eight matches against Fulham, stretching back to his time with Arsenal, and of course given his record against the club, he won both of those too.

Marco Silva’s side have won just one of their last nine against a side starting the day in the top half, while they have failed to score in four of their last five league matches.

Without jinxing the Champions League chasing visitors, things are looking positive for Emery and his side, as the push for a top five spot continues.