Aston Villa host Fulham at Villa Park, Birmingham in Gameweek 9 on Sat 31 Oct, 20:00 GMT. Aston Villa are 12th on 8 points from 7 games after Gameweek 7 (form DLWDW), Fulham are 18th on 5 (form LDDLW). The FPL deadline is Saturday 31 October 2026, 11:00 GMT, so check team news before you lock your squad.
Aston Villa: what changed
Aston Villa have scored 7 and conceded 11 in 7 league games, and in GW7 it finished W 1–0 at Newcastle United. At home they have 1 points from 3 games. Official FPL list, 2026-10-24: Manzambi (calf injury: 75% chance of playing); Wan-Bissaka (hamstring injury: Expected back 21 Nov). Expected shape: 4-5-1.
Aston Villa Predicted Starting XI & Lineup · 4-5-1
Official lineups confirmed 1 hour before kick-off.
Fulham: the story so far
Fulham have scored 7 and conceded 10 in 7 league games, and in GW7 it finished W 1–0 v Hull City. Away from home they have 1 points from 3 games. Nothing flagged for Fulham on the official FPL injury list as of 2026-10-24. Expected shape: 4-5-1.
Facts to know
- Aston Villa: W 3–2 at Tottenham Hotspur, D 2–2 v Brentford, W 1–0 at Newcastle United.
- Fulham: D 1–1 v Manchester United, L 1–2 at Ipswich Town, W 1–0 v Hull City.
- Table after GW7: Aston Villa 12th (8 pts, GD -4), Fulham 18th (5 pts, GD -3).
The deciding factor
Johan Manzambi against Fulham's defence is the matchup to watch: Fulham have conceded 10 in 7. In the other direction, Alex Iwobi faces the Aston Villa defence that has conceded 11 in 7. FPL rates this fixture 2/5 for Aston Villa and 3/5 for Fulham, where 5 is hardest.
FPL picks to watch
- Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa, £6.0m): averaging 7.5 points a game (30 in total), FPL projects 4.0 for this round, 3.0% owned.
- Alex Iwobi (Fulham, £5.4m): averaging 4.1 points a game (29 in total), FPL projects 5.0 for this round, 1.4% owned.
- Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa, £5.9m): averaging 4.0 points a game (28 in total), FPL projects 2.3 for this round, 1.3% owned, on penalties.
- Clean-sheet angle: Zion Suzuki (Aston Villa, £5.0m) at home, with Aston Villa the side our model rates less likely to concede (1.1 expected goals against).
- Differential: David Affengruber (Fulham, £4.5m) is owned by just 0.7% and averages 5.2 points a game.
Verdict
Our model, built on 2026/27 goals scored and conceded, gives Aston Villa a 39% win chance, a draw 28% and Fulham 33%, with 1–1 the single most likely scoreline. Expected goals: 1.2 for Aston Villa, 1.1 for Fulham. Aston Villa are the lean on the numbers, but only 7 games have been played, so treat it as a guide rather than a certainty.